ABOUT

Harrisburg

Like many in-town neighborhoods in cities both large and small across Georgia, Harrisburg faces challenges that are very much the opposite of those faced by most suburbs. While roads, sewers and other infrastructure struggle to keep up with suburban development, underused urban infrastructure often is crumbling because there’s not the funding to repair it. And the populations are different too: where - at least until recently - the suburbs were largely upscale, inner-city neighborhoods have tended to be poor and mostly minority. 

Additionally and unlike blight that has crept into many aging inner suburbs, the blight in Harrisburg is laced with assets - and therefore a great deal of hope exists if investment can take advantage of them. The entire neighborhood is also conveniently located near the center of Augusta.

​

Unfortunately, Harrisburg's growth was undermined by two main factors. In the 1970s, the neighborhood was bisected by the Calhoun Expressway, splitting the community into two distinct parts - one aligned with an amazing (if underutilized) amenity, the Canal, and the other cut off from it. Then, in the early 2000s, two textile mills along the Canal closed, causing many of the remaining workforce to move away.

​

In the years following, the main corridors - Walton Way, Broad Street and 15th Street - have become automotive-centric nearly exclusively, and are lined with empty lots, deteriorating rental homes, and mostly fast food establishments (contributing to the area's designation as a "Food Swamp." Walkability is almost non-existent, despite the fact that many residents do not have vehicles, with sidewalks severely distressed and overgrowth typical.