Augusta-Richmond County Commission adopts Augusta Tomorrow’s 2035 downtown blueprint

The Augusta-Richmond County Commission unanimously adopted Augusta Tomorrow’s “2035 Vision: A Blueprint for Action,” a 10-year plan to guide downtown redevelopment and public-space projects, following a presentation by Lauren Dallas, executive director of Augusta Tomorrow.

The plan, which Dallas described as a public–private effort developed with consulting firm Gehl and local stakeholders, sets a target of adding about 8,000 new residents downtown by 2035 and recommends a package of projects to boost daily activity, housing and green infrastructure.

Dallas told commissioners that consultants “did not rely on preexisting data” but rather used field observation and public engagement to shape the plan’s priorities. She summarized the vision as making downtown not only a collection of destinations but “the City of Joyful Exploration,” and highlighted signature strategies including a “5‑minute downtown” (amenities within a five‑minute walk), a contiguous five‑mile double‑loop “green ribbon” of trails, a canopy network to increase tree cover, and a “rippled edge” of riverfront activation featuring floating platforms and a water taxi concept.

Commissioners asked about timing and funding. Dallas characterized the plan as a 10‑year vision and said some projects are already moving through engineering and private development pipelines; she noted Jones Alley is partly funded by a state grant. Commissioners discussed possible use of existing discretionary city funds to align with projects such as Jones Alley and emphasized coordination with city engineering and the administrator. Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Guilfoyle and others pressed for follow‑up with the city administrator and the city’s engineering team to identify where municipal funds could be used to coordinate construction rather than to directly fund third‑party projects.

Commissioners also flagged housing as central to the plan’s success. Dallas said the board’s primary metric of success is 8,000 new residents by 2035 (about 800 per year) and called for more “2‑ to 3‑bedroom” units aimed at families and post‑graduate residents rather than only student housing. Commissioner Francine Scott invited Augusta Tomorrow to present to the Housing Study Committee on Nov. 5.

After brief discussion, Commissioner Lindack moved to adopt the plan; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

Augusta Tomorrow said the plan’s initial projects—Common Plus (activation of the Augusta Common), Jones Alley upgrades, a Reynolds Street “road diet” to slow traffic toward the river, expanded river activation and a parking‑management strategy—are graded and phased in the plan’s timeline. Dallas urged the commission to treat the plan as a long‑term framework that will require public‑private coordination and phased funding to implement.

The commission’s action assigns the plan to staff for follow-up and for integration into upcoming capital and budget work sessions, and commissioners asked staff and Augusta Tomorrow to return with specific funding strategies and points of coordination for projects that intersect municipal work (streets, engineering, parks).