Originally published by the Augusta Press at https://theaugustapress.com/choice-neighborhoods-and-hub-project-part-of-a-bigger-picture/

Construction on the HUB for Innovation in Augusta’s Harrisburg area has been on a fast-track to completion since ground was broken in April 2021.

But architects behind the project say the HUB is only one piece of a bigger picture, and that the recent receipt of a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant is another part.

“A grocery store is what got it started,” said Ian Mercier, president and CEO of the MCG Foundation, which owned the property where a Kroger once stood.

When Kroger pulled out, leaving a food desert in its place, Mercier said the foundation saw an opportunity to become a good community partner and address some of the problems of those living on the edges of the medical university’s footprint.

The first plans of making an impact in the Harrisburg and Laney Walker areas were formulated in 2019 with the concept of a “dream center,” which evolved into the Hub. The two structures across from each other on Chaffee Avenue will house several non-profits that can address multiple problems within the community including literacy, nutrition and healthcare.

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Augusta provides an array of programs including mentoring and tutoring for children and teens. Its programs will be anchored in one of the buildings.

Other programs such as Augusta Locally Grown, which works to connect local growers with consumers, Rise Augusta, which provides additional educational services and the Harrisburg Family Health Center which provides free medical care to more than 3,000 uninsured and under-insured Augusta area residents annually, and Augusta University literacy program which assists adults as well as children.

The building phase of the project should be complete by Masters week and Mercier anticipates the groups being in the space providing programs over the summer.

Another part of the project is tied to the planning grant which is awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“The federal funding is a two-year planning grant that aims to support the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans, which focus on directing resources to address housing, people and neighborhoods,” according to a November news release from the city of Augusta.

If awarded, the city could receive between $30 million and $40 million to revitalize the Allen Homes area in the Laney Walker district.

Mercier said the MCG Foundation got the ball rolling on the Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant, a highly competitive grant only awarded to four municipalities in 2021.

HUD looks for several things when awarding the grant.

“You have to demonstrate the entire community is involved in getting it done,” said Mercier.

The city took the lead with support from entities such as the MCG Foundation. The collaboration with the HUB which included a $10 million donation from the Augusta National, AT&T, Bank of America and IBM.  showed some of that community collaboration.

But it took two tries before Augusta was considered for the Choice grant.

“When we applied the first time, we didn’t have a planning coordinator,” said Mercier.

So, they went after the best, and came up with WRT Design and Consulting, a company out of Philadelphia that has filled that role multiple times and helped about a dozen cities take their planning grant and leverage it into the multi-million-dollar implementation grant.

“You need a group with a track record,” he said.

WRT was suggested by Rob Hazelton, CEO of Dominion Due Diligence Group out of Richmond, Va., which according to its website “is the nation’s leading provider of environmental, engineering, and energy due diligence. D3G supports lenders, Public Housing Authorities, and developers with innovative solutions for public housing.”

The Augusta Commission voted on Feb. 8 to approve WRT’s contract to move forward.

“The planning coordinator was selected before we applied,” Mercier said. “They have to write the transformation plan, and it’s a massive undertaking.”

Now WRT Planning and Design will get the plan together with the ultimate goal of transforming the community east of the medical community.

“This planning grant signifies yet another resource dedicated to the ongoing efforts to meet the needs of Richmond County residents,” said Augusta Georgia Land Bank Authority Executive Director Shawn Edwards in the November news release. “This collaborative effort of the Augusta Commission and the Augusta Housing Authority further emphasizes a commitment to maintaining affordable housing in a rapidly developing urban core, producing positive outcomes for long-term residents and transforming the community with an inclusive vision.”

Should Augusta receive the implementation grant, it will be able to replace Allen Homes, a community built on the site of a former chemical plant.

Not only would the housing area be rebuilt, but Mercier said the community would be impacted overall with businesses investing as well.