News 12 at 6 o'clock / Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver announced plans for a new collaboration center during his first State of the City Address at First Baptist Church of Augusta Thursday.

The mayor says it is more than just an idea. He says he has the location and the donations to make it happen.

"We're proud the mayor wanted to come here and give his State of the City Address," said Roger Murchison, chairman of the Augusta Housing Authority. "We heard it well and he was applauded roundly and strongly."

The mayor had one main focus.

"At the end of the day the common denominator is jobs and opportunity," Copenhaver said.

The mayor is announcing a new collaboration center that puts representatives from the area's top job providers in one location.

"Between the Savannah River Site, Plant Vogtle, Fort Gordon and our medical infrastructure, we have all the resources to really leverage and grow our technology sector," Copenhaver said.

The mayor says the idea will bring new life to the old Chamber of Commerce building downtown. A $100,000 investment from the city with a matching $100,000 from a private investor will jump start the project.

"Hopefully, in the future, we can have the whole thing be privately funded," Copenhaver said.

The mayor says the city is also laying the groundwork for people to return to the city center.

"What we are really doing is transforming the physical landscape," Copenhaver said.

He points to the new Heritage Pine neighborhood that is part of a multi-million dollar Laney Walker/Bethlehem redevelopment.

"Somebody said you will never sell one of those houses," Copenhaver said. "We've sold eight of them to this point."

Murchison said it needs a shot in the arm.

"The city is working on that," he said. "The Augusta Housing Authority is working on that. This is also dovetails into what we're doing on Sand Bar Ferry Road."

The old Underwood Homes housing development is now a brand new senior housing complex. Plans are also in the works for a second phase of single-family homes.

"What you see is mixed income housing," Murchison said. "It's not where we are just trying to warehouse poor people in one area. We're trying to say we are the city of Augusta. Can we all move and work together?"