Officials regroup after defeat of bond for new James Brown Arena

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A day after voters turned down a bond of up to $240 million to help build a new James Brown Arena, the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority met.

Voters on Tuesday decided against the bond, 7,754 to 5,080.

At a meeting Wednesday, authority Chairman Cedric Johnson thanked the whole authority for their work this far.

Johnson said Tuesday’s “road bump” gives officials some time to figure out what they need to work on and look at ways they can get the citizens of Augusta on board.

He says people have responded that the arena designs are exciting and people like them, but the increase in property tax turned people off.

”You learn from a challenge,” Johnson said.

The current arena will be back to booking shows and selling tickets.

The Coliseum Authority has already spent about $18 million on arena plans. Leaders say none of that will go to waste but it will take time to figure out the next step. Designs will remain the same, although they might have to make upgrades.

The authority says each year a new arena is delayed, the price will increase by 3 to 5 percent.

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