Commission rejects unsolicited proposal to revitalize Dyess Park Community Center; developers and Historic Augusta protest process

The administrative services committee voted to reject an unsolicited proposal to revitalize the Dyess Park Community Center and restore the adjacent historic fire station.

Interim Parks Director White and other staff told commissioners the project follow‑up had included internal meetings with Parks & Recreation, procurement, planning, central services and finance. Staff said the majority of neighborhood respondents favored demolition of the deteriorated structure, that the project concept had earlier been vetted and approved by the commission (December 2023) and that preliminary and final design work would proceed using SPLOST 8 funds unless the commission directed otherwise.

Representatives of Historic Augusta and private developers (Epic Augusta representatives Tobin Hagler and Christopher Duncan) said they had prepared and submitted an unsolicited proposal during the public unsolicited proposal period, paid a $5,000 review fee, and expected to be included in the evaluation. Eric Montgomery of Historic Augusta told the committee the group had attended earlier meetings and had been instructed to refrain from contacting commissioners during the procurement window; he said Historic Augusta was not included in later evaluation sessions and that staff had not communicated status updates to the proposers. Developer Tobin Hagler described adaptive reuse options — coffee shop, apartments, commercial space — and argued the historic fire station could coexist with a modernized park.

Commissioners were divided over process and substance. Several said the community had repeatedly requested a new park facility and that the building’s top floor had collapsed, making the structure a public‑safety liability. Others expressed concern about process transparency and asked staff to provide the written notes and public‑meeting record that informed the committee recommendation.

After the discussion a motion to reject the unsolicited proposal was moved and seconded. The committee voted to reject the unsolicited proposal; the clerk recorded the motion as carrying and unanimous. Staff will proceed — subject to the commission’s prior approval to proceed with design — with preliminary and final design to move the Dyess Park revitalization forward.

Historic Augusta said it would request additional information about evaluation notes and suggested procurement communication gaps be reviewed; one commissioner suggested refunding the proposers’ $5,000 fee because the proposers reported they received no substantive follow‑up from procurement.