Augusta, GA
Crews make progress in Downtown Augusta construction project
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Construction has continued across downtown Augusta, with the new Augusta Arena rising on schedule and on budget, the former Ramada Hotel under development under a new name, and roadwork on the 500 block of Broad Street set to begin next week.
Crews are currently building a crane to haul steel and begin work on the arena’s steel skeleton. The former Ramada Hotel, which had been vacant, is now under construction and has announced its new name: The Conroy.
Augusta burn center opens new cafeteria as part of $4.5M renovation
Orange construction barrels and cones along Broad Street have marked the area for some time. Steven Fishman, owner of Sidney’s — a business that has operated on Broad Street since 1894 — said he has watched the corridor change over the decades.
“I watched Broad Street expand. I watched Broad Street in 1960s, 1950s. It was jumping. Everything was happening,” Fishman said.
Some businesses have felt the impact of the ongoing construction. One source noted that businesses “can’t get foot traffic, and they can’t get parking,” adding that “there’s a lot of empty buildings on Broad Street.”
Dylan Pope, area manager for Sole and Fifth and Fire, said the disruption is part of a larger process.
“I think we’ve been wanting change for downtown and change comes with a process at the same time,” Pope said.
Pope said the construction represents a shift in what downtown Augusta could become.
“I think we’re making this more of a destination strip. You know, we’re making it to where people are going to come downtown and stay downtown,” Pope said.
He added that the work will benefit the area long-term.
“It’s going to lay the foundation for the future that I believe that a lot of us do want for downtown, which is putting money back into downtown and actually putting the right foot forward for downtown,” Pope said.
The original construction timeline projected the work could take up to 36 months, which would place the completion date in late next month. Empty buildings along the block are also being refreshed as part of the broader development activity.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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