Augusta Sustainable Development Implementation Program: Cherry Tree Crossing Redevelopment

Details:

Client: City of Augusta

Location: Augusta, Georgia

Status: Completed in 2013

Highlights:

  • Recognition – 2013 Georgia Planning Association Award for Outstanding Planning Document
  • 4.5 mile corridor plan
  • Plan follows HUD guidelines and Livability Principles
  • Plan promotes higher-density, mixed-use, and mixed-income development in appropriate areas

Description:

TSW led a consultant team to develop a detailed corridor plan and implementation program for the City of Augusta, Georgia. The project, Augusta Sustainable Development Implementation Program: Cherry Tree Crossing Redevelopment, followed guidelines set forth by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Livability Principles, which promote sustainable and livable communities. The corridor is a 4.5-mile north-south “spine” that runs through the core of the city, from downtown to the vacant Regency Mall area along 15th Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Deans Bridge Road.

The project included four interrelated initiatives:

  1. Developing a detailed plan and implementation program for a cluster of transit-oriented development neighborhoods along the corridor.
  2. Creating a detailed plan for a multi-modal transportation corridor to improve mobility and connectivity in the area.
  3. Revising current codes to facilitate higher-density, mixed-use and mixed-income development.
  4. Creating an implementation plan for green, affordable housing in the corridor.

One of the key focus areas of the program is Cherry Tree Crossing, a dilapidated public housing development that is scheduled for demolition. TSW’s new plan for Cherry Tree’s redevelopment reflects the community’s desire to have the area more integrated within the surrounding urban fabric and provide a variety of housing opportunities. As part of the process, the Augusta Housing Authority and relocation experts met with residents multiple times to determine new housing that fits the needs for bedrooms, school zones, and other priorities.

The Augusta Sustainable Development Implementation Program: Cherry Tree Crossing Redevelopment plan developed by TSW and its consultant team is a comprehensive approach to revitalizing the area and providing sustainable, livable communities. It aims to improve mobility, increase housing options, and promote economic development. The plan is flexible and adaptable, allowing it to be implemented in a variety of ways by different stakeholders over time, and it will serve as a guide for future development in the City of Augusta.