New developments starting at HUB for Community Innovation

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We are following up with the HUB for Community Innovation.

When we visited their grand opening two weeks ago there were some things that needed final touches.

Now that it is over, they are getting started with phase two of the project that will have a longstanding impact on food and housing in the community.

They say things have been going well and they’re finally settling into their new home. The MCG Foundation says these buildings are just the beginning of something much bigger happening in the heart of Augusta.

“A lot of the entities in the HUB now are hitting the ground running,” says Britney Pooser, director of outreach and inclusion, MCG Foundation.

She bridges the gap between the foundation and the community.

“We’re on a mission to just increase that capacity and reach and touch as many community residents as possible,” says Pooser.

She says the non-profits are looking to increase the amount of people using the HUB, now that they’re settled in.

“It’s a surreal feeling. I think the opportunities are endless, of what resources we can bridge gaps between community members and services being provided,” she said.

There’s more to this plan than just the HUB.

Phase two will include building a new facility where Augusta University Annex I and II are. That’s where the free COVID testing is on 15th Street.

“Our redevelopment is geared towards being a gateway for the university,” says Pooser.

They will use the lot next door to the HUB for a research facility. This will bring the downtown AU workers back to the campus.

Phase three is still being worked on, but that includes adding a grocery store to the area.

“Once the grocery store is there, it will open the entire corridor for mixed retail, affordable housing, things like that,” she said.

All of this is to help better serve the needs of the community.

“Setting forward with the community first is a great step. I think that will still be the main pulse of what the redevelopment stands for,” says Pooser.

On July 23, Rise Augusta will be at the HUB to help parents send their kids back to school from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

They will be passing out backpacks with school supplies, comic art, literacy and mental health resources, and more.

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