Ellis Street repaved as part of downtown Augusta’s revitalization

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Ellis Street runs parallel to Broad Street, and business owners say it’s getting some much-needed attention.

Here’s a look at the progress and how it plays into downtown development.

Ellis Street is typically known as a service road for many businesses off Broad Street. It looks different now, and there are more changes to come.

“It looked terrible. There were potholes you could tear your car up going down Ellis Street,” Brad Usry, owner of Southern Salad, Broad Street.

Usry’s business was affected because of the limited space on Ellis Street for deliveries. Now he says there is more space, and the street looks better.

“Just more attractive and easier to use it. When you start paving roads and cleaning up roads and creating lights, this help eliminates some of the problems,” said Usry.

District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson says this project is much needed, and this is just the beginning of improvements in the downtown area.

“You don’t want to have nice hotels and eateries backing into Ellis Street area, and people leave to go home and have car damage,” he said. “We want to make sure downtown Augusta is a beautiful place for folks to come and enjoy.”

The pavement will continue throughout the downtown area, and there are plans to address many of the blighted properties on Broad Street.

Johnson says the highlight for downtown will be the transportation investment act project which will completely transform the downtown corridor.

“Upgrade sidewalks, repave our roads, remove some of the trees in the area, change our parking structure. At the end of the day, we want a downtown that will be an attraction. These projects will get us in that direction,” said Johnson.

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