When the two Augusta University shields atop the former Wells Fargo Building in downtown Augusta were first illuminated, it was at the city of Augusta’s Christmas Light Up Spectacular in December 2017, and it happened simultaneously with the lighting of the city’s seasonal lights.

With the flip of a switch, Augusta University’s presence in downtown Augusta became as obvious as the 17-story building that now bears its name: Augusta University on Broad.

The illuminated shields on the east and west sides of the building measure 18 feet wide by 18 feet tall, making them the largest of all the building shields, and they represent a shining, obvious example of the university’s investment in — and commitment to — Augusta and its downtown.

Since then, the university’s downtown footprint has continued to grow.

Between Augusta University on Broad — which is now home to Human Resources, Georgia Correctional Health and partner Beckman-Coulter — and the Annex Building next door, which is the new location of the Division of Communications and Marketing, Augusta University leases 57,000 square feet of space and houses approximately 165 full-time employees at the corner of Seventh and Broad.

But that’s far from the extent of the university’s downtown presence.

Anchoring the other end of the downtown area is the $100 million Georgia Cyber Center, a two-building, nearly 365,000-square-foot complex that is home to Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

Overall, the university currently occupies just over 29,000 square feet of academic space in the two buildings.
Augusta University also leases approximately 15,000 square feet in the Riverfront Building on 10th Street.

And with the university’s transit service connecting Georgia Cyber Center to the other campuses, the entire university is only minutes from the growing number of amenities that downtown Augusta has to offer.

Given the 16×30 plan to increase enrollment to 16,000 students by 2030, it’s becoming clear that Augusta is most certainly a college town, and downtown Augusta is enjoying a renaissance because of it.