For North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, the most intriguing part of Augusta 2035: Blueprint for Action report is Augusta Tomorrow’s proposal to introduce water taxis. Those would be used to shuttle passengers between the Augusta side and the new boat dock near the Sharon Jones Amphitheater on the North Augusta side.
“Neither one of our communities has truly understood and embraced what it means to have a body of water in between us,” Williams said. “Communities in both our states would love to have water as part of what they offer. Now, we have a water taxi potential where a citizen or a tourist can go back and forth. We’ve got to think of this river differently than just a thing.”
The Augusta Tomorrow group laid out an ambitious plan for new projects that bring both cities to the development table.
(L to R) Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson, North Augusta Councilman John Felak, North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson
On Friday, leaders from the worlds of business and politics had a look at possibilities connecting Augusta and North Augusta.
“This is the second time that North Augusta has been included in our master planning efforts, and with all the growth that they saw since 2009, we thought it would be good to share the energy between the river,” Lauren Dallas, Executive Director of Augusta Tomorrow, told ABD. “As both mayors say, it’s a river, not a wall. So, we have to start sharing that energy that both sides see.”
The plan has a focus area of approximately three square miles encompassing Augusta’s downtown core and the North Augusta riverfront. It has what are called “The Four Big Moves.”
- The 5-Minute Downtown
- Compact, connected, and convenient. This strategy turns both downtowns into hyper-compact and walkable.
- The Green Ribbon
- An approximately six-mile figure-eight trail that weaves through both cities—combining cohesive design with diverse destinations.
- The Rippled Edge
- Reimagine the riverfront as an active, immersive public space—bringing everyday recreation, gathering, and commercial energy to the water’s edge.
- The Canopy Network
- Double downtown’s shade and greenery through a “Parking Management Plan” strategy, expanded tree planting, and long-term stewardship across districts.
Dallas said some of the projects are already underway, including turning Jones Alley into a linear park, creating a walkable alternative to Broad Street. It will be designed for pop-up retail, street art, and informal gatherings.
A priority for the success of the overall master plan is the development of a parking management plan.
“As we’re currently under construction, if we don’t plan for it now, we’re just going to be reverse engineering everything,” Dallas explained. Part of that, she added, will be the return of paid parking.
“We did have parking meters, and we removed them, to my understanding, when downtown saw a downturn. We feel like now it is time to bring that back, to manage our parking. It’s not just about making money. It’s about ensuring that cars that park downtown turn over.”
Also underway are preparations to create destinations more closely incorporating the Savannah River. It includes creating floating piers with areas of seating and shade, and creating what the plan calls “bargelets,” a series of barges with cafes, retail, and event spaces.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson said it is time to view the river, not as a divide, but rather as the thing that links the two cities. He said the 2035 master plan sets the stage for future generations and called upon the public for support.
“We’re going to need your help to fulfill many of these plans that are put in place. I need your help, and it starts on May 19 with our SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) vote. Many of these things that we’re talking about are so integral to us, pass SPLOST so that we can fulfill those obligations,” he urged.
Reab Berry of Morris Communications co-chaired the committee along with Tom Robertson of Cranston Engineering. He said the plan is about potential for the future.
“Will all of these projects come to fruition. No,” he said. “We hope that they do, absolutely, but what we’ve got to do is put something out there that we can all move towards, because without a goal, you never know where you’re going to go. So absolutely, this is all about the potential of Augusta as well as North Augusta.”
Dallas said Augusta has long been a destination city. The goal is to create a city of joyful exploration.
The master plan is available online at https://oneriverregion.com/
Learn more about Augusta Tomorrow at https://www.augustatomorrow.com/
