News 12 at 6 o'clock, June 24, 2009

NORTH AUGUSTA---It's been a work in progress for some time now, North Augusta's new Municipal Building. And with an open house set for this Sunday, some businesses nearby hope the new building brings new customers.

Along with that open house, there's a new street that will open up too. If you've driven by, it's the one with the road closed barricades up by the new street light. Some business owners are hoping that street will lead new customers right to their stores.

It's been around 2 years in the making, but pretty soon the new North Augusta Municipal Building will be the hub for city business.

And this weekend, plenty of people like nearby business owner Louise Rowland will be heading to an open house.

"It'll be exciting. I'm planning on going Sunday afternoon to see it," she said.

But Louise is also excited about all the employees that will be coming to work there soon. They'll all be potential customers for her Coffee Corner shop.

"Hopefully that'll be great. Maybe they'll go for a walk, come up here and grab a cup of coffee or something," she said.

Salon owner Jayson Lacy is ready to see things happen.

"I think immediately we'll see a difference," Jayson said.

He hopes that when Center Street, the new road in front of the building, opens up this weekend, it will guide a lot of people over to his West Avenue salon and his wife's clothing store.

"Once they get it done, the flood gates will be open," he said.

Combining the soon to be 30-plus nearby city employees and potential increase in cars coming by, that could happen.

The North Augusta City Administrator says they should be moved in by the middle of July. Bringing this 20 million dollar project to a close. Something people have been waiting a while to see.

"I think it's gonna be great. It's gonna be worth the wait the way I see it," Jayson said.

If you would like to attend the open house for the North Augusta Municipal Building, just head over there on Sunday between 1:30 and 5:30 pm.