I grew up in Columbia County, Evans to be specific. When my parents moved our family to Augusta in 1980, they chose to buy a home in Columbia County. My mother had done her research and felt like Columbia County was a better fit for our young family.
My dad worked for Columbia Nitrogen at the time, located off Sand Bar Ferry Road in downtown Augusta. Needless to say, unless we went to a function at my Dad’s office, we did not venture downtown much at all. My mother thought it was not safe for her young family. Most of the buildings were abandoned, but we did come downtown for the theater.
From a very young age I took ballet with the Ron Jones School of Ballet, known now as the Columbia County Ballet. Every Spring, we would have our production, the Roar of Love, downtown. In the early years, it was at the Imperial Theatre before moving to the Bell Auditorium. I always loved coming downtown…to the “big” city.
As an adult, I am excited to see a renewed investment in downtown Augusta. Our city has so much to offer from new restaurants, retail shops, theaters, nightlife and much more.
In this issue, we celebrate downtown Augusta and the revitalization that is happening. There is a distinct movement to make our city a destination for visitors and locals alike. The developers, regardless of their age, are cautious to respect the past while creating something more contemporary.
This is our inaugural downtown issue – promoting all Augusta has to offer and what’s to come!
-Ashlee
Article appears in the January 2019 issue of Augusta Magazine.
