Same idea, new plans for old Regency Mall in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’re fresh off announcements for new plans to redevelop the old Regency Mall in south Augusta.

The plans include new housing, a grocery store, and restaurants. But if you’ve lived here for the past two decades, you might feel like you’ve heard this all before.

We’ve heard of big ideas to come, but still, the property stands.

Will this time be different?

Local architectural firm Booker and Associates started working on the latest plan eight months ago after the Regency owners approached them. Together, they came up with a plan.

“I going into the mall as a kid,” said Nathan Vick, an architect with Booker and Associates.

“They just said, ‘We have this existing building. How can we use this existing building?’ We started developing concepts,” he said.

“You’re north of $100 million without even blinking – $150 million, $175 million, to keep the whole project across the line,” said Vick.

It’s a tale much of Augusta has heard before. Plan after plan, after plan.

We looked back at our coverage since 2000. The ideas for what could become of Regency were endless.

First, a mixed-use development like the new one. In 2008, a baseball stadium. In 2010, Rocky Creek Park. In 2014, using SPLOST dollars so the city can buy it. In 2015, a water park. In 2016, a tech innovation center. In 2016, movie studios. In 2017, a cyber corridor or the new James Brown Arena. In 2018, a James Brown Museum. In 2018, a movie set.

But project leaders say this plan is different because it could happen. All they need is approval.

If that happens, the days of waiting for change at Regency could be over. The architect estimates the plan would take two years to complete after construction starts.

The idea to turn the mall into a mixed-use development was formed by Regency’s owners, Cardinal Management Group, out of New York. We did give them a call and left a message. We haven’t received a response.

“I think creating a community there will work,” Vick said.

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