Augusta SOGO Summit

In late 2016, the Augusta Mayor’s Office asked Sizemore Group to help in developing an economic summit focused on (re)development of South Augusta, the SOGO Summit. In particular, the SOGO (South of Gordon) district was examined as a target for new investment. SOGO includes Gordon Highway and Deans Bridge Road – aging corridors with potential to become transformative gateways into the Augusta community. These roadways connect Fort Gordon to Downtown and the new Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center. At the center of this area is the former Regency Mall, a large vacant mall property with great potential for redevelopment. On March 23, 2017, the Augusta Mayor’s Office and Sizemore Group hosted the SOGO Summit. This invite only summit brought together experts in real estate development, architecture, education, and public-private partnerships as well as key land and business owners. The summit began with a bus tour of the corridor, followed by dinner and discussion. Discussions focused on key redevelopment areas, strategic moves – both public and private, and next steps to implementation. The outcome included momentum to create change, a stakeholder group ready to implement, and key next steps to move forward.