14 months later, upgrades still not started at Augusta park

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Augusta’s Dyess Park is in desperate need of improvements – and city leaders agree.

In November of 2023, $6.5 million in sales tax money was set aside to revitalize the park.

The funds have been sitting on a shelf since then, and in the meantime, neighbors are paying the price.

While the city debates what to do with the community center, people who could be using this park are still stuck waiting.

At Dyess Park, playtime never stops.

“This should be their safe space,” said Mia Tate, Augusta resident, and parent.

It’s proof that joy can thrive in a place where promises fade.

“Can you be patient? You gotta be patient,” Tate said to her child.

Patience – something neighbors around Dyess Park are losing.

“I thought we did all the talking that we were going to do,” said Stanley Hawes, who lives near Dyess Park. ”All the talking over with, it’s time for action, that’s all.”

Standing in the way of progress is the locked community center.

“Literally and figuratively speaking, I weep,” said Hawes. “I weep because there are kids in my neighborhood that don’t have a chance.”

A historic building turned into an eyesore

“We can’t build communities with an empty building right there,” said Hawes.

For nearly 20 years, Hawes has lived next to the park.

“Some people got places to go, they can take their kids to the YMCA or whatever,” said Hawes. “Some of us here can’t do that, some of them got just what’s dealt to them.”

There is a playground, but other than that–

“Empty swimming pool,” said Hawes. “They have caught kids over there playing in a dangerous area because they had nothing else to do.”

It’s leaving some parents asking for change.

“If they have things that they’re able to exert their energy on versus what we will quote unquote say negative things, then we’ll see more impact on them having healthy and positive expressions on their faces and exerting of their energy there,” said Tate.

In return, they are hopeful a positive impact on the community could come about.

“If the government wants to help and the community takes it, take their part,” said Tate. “I think it would make a big impact and see everything flourish and go in the direction that everybody wants it to go.”

Commissioners say the talks about improving Dyess Park go back to 2004 and as you can see. some neighbors are tired of waiting.

“Hopefully they will decide to go ahead on and do this thing,” said Hawes.

Also Tuesday, Augusta Commission :

• Approved supplemental funding not to exceed $15.4 million for Hurricane Helene debris removal services with Ceres Environmental Services Inc. Also approved the use of general fund fund-balance to fund these services.
• Approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $1.272 million for Hurricane Helene debris removal monitoring services with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc. Also approved use of general fund fund-balance to fund these services.
• Approved supplemental funding in an amount not to exceed $874,319 for Hurricane Helene debris removal coordination services with Infrastructure Systems Management LLC. Also approved use of general fund-fund balance to fund these services.
• Approved a motion to approve task order No. 1 with an amount not to exceed $500,000 for Hurricane Helene cost recovery services through Tetra Tech.
• Agreed to have Troy Akers meet with city officials to come back with a plan for a sports facility including pickleball courts off Interstate 20 near Doctors Hospital. He’s proposing 18 championship-size tennis courts and 48 pickleball courts. He’d also like a 15,000-square-foot gym with a walking track. His goal is to bring back tennis to Richmond County and introduce and grow kickball here, which he said “would put us on the map in the state.” He said the location near I-20 would help.
• Heard from Richard Skuse about paratransit services. He’s a blind veteran who moved here in 2009. “Over the last year, it’s gone downhill, specifically in the last several months,” he said of the service. He gave an example from around Christmas when he called paratransit and was told the service was booked up and he needed to call two weeks in advance. The director of paratransit says there are issues, one being vehicles being down in an accident and also there being a 24-hour notice. Skuse says it’s not just got him, but it’s those living check to check, and having to schedule two weeks out is hard. Commissioners decided to task the and her team to work with transit and come up with a plan.
• Approved purchase of video surveillance security systems for three locations along the Augusta Canal as a sole source procurement in the amount of $90,854.
• Approved Augusta Utilities’ purchase of SmartWorks MDM for AMI data integration as a sole source procurement from systems and software in the amount of $607,000.
• Approved continued funding of the current “on-call property appraisal and acquisition services for Augusta engineering” contract in the amount of $350,000.

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