Construction is completed and the ribbon cut, officially marking the opening of North Augusta’s new Public Safety headquarters on Georgia Ave.
The new public safety headquarters complements Engine Company 1, which went into service in 2022 at the corner of W. Martintown Road and Observatory Avenue. Mayor Briton Williams told ABD that the placement of the two buildings is strategic based on the city’s growth.
“There’s no doubt we are growing through Exit One. We continue to have growth in Exit Five. You’re seeing what I think is going to happen on E. Martintown Road, come in Jefferson Davis, that piece. We’re growing in all our five gateways,” he said.
Still to be determined is the fate of the old public safety headquarters, as well as the old municipal building on E. Buena Vista that was being used by the court system.
“My guess is our city is not going to keep those buildings, just to keep them,” he explained. “I could see us tearing those down and turning that into pickleball courts or something to play off of the community center across the street. But would we entertain if somebody came in and wanted to buy it and do it themselves and build something? Everything’s open. I guess that conversation we’ll probably start having more seriously now.”
The new headquarters will house the Public Safety Department and the city court system. Williams told the crowd that attended the ribbon cutting ceremony that it is a game changer for the community, adding the $25 million project was fully funded by the Capital Projects Sales Tax (CPST) 4.
“No debt, no mileage charge for any taxpayers,” he said. “Twenty-five percent of the people are not even residents of Aiken County. They’re visitors. Think all the people coming in for the Masters, all the people coming here for Peach Jam. Anyone visiting that spends money, a penny has gone to pay for this building.”
The court side includes a new courtroom, office space for judges, a jury room, and space for the clerk of courts. The police side of the facility houses a new dispatch center, crime lab, evidence storage, and weight training room, including some equipment donated by North Augusta High School.
“Our mission at North Augusta Public Safety is to provide exemplary police and fire services,” said Public Safety Director, Chief Junior Johnson. “We at public safety are grateful for our new home and commit to continue to provide exemplary police and fire services to you all from behind these walls and throughout the community. This may be the public safety headquarters, but this building belongs to all of the citizens of North Augusta.”
Construction began in February 2023 on the 39,000-square-foot building. It is on five acres at the corner of Georgia and Observatory Avenues, the former location of the Seven Gables Inn that was destroyed in a 2008 fire. It replaces the aging facility on E. Buena Vista Avenue, which has been plagued by water leaks, mold, and general deterioration.
