AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- It was once a popular 17 floor office building, built more than 100 years ago in Downtown Augusta.

The building has been vacant for years, but now the Downtown Development Authority is partnering  with a developer from Connecticut, turning it into an apartment complex.

“The developer I think is going to clean up the outside do some pointing on the bring because it’s historic and the first floor will have a retail component and the upper floor two though 15 or 16 will have the living units,” said Margaret Woodard, Downtown Development Authority Director.

The apartment will have 78 units. Woodard says the building was originally planning to be a hotel.  

“We had a developer looking at it, two developers actually that looked at it to turn it into a boutique hotel, and those deals did not come to fruition and this one has, we’re very excited with everything they’re doing,” said Woodard.

She also says renovating this building will help grow the housing market.

“Well I think there’s a real housing demand right now not only in Augusta but across the state and the office market is still fluctuating because of the pandemic to see if they’re going to come back full force.”

Woodard says this project adds more attraction to the downtown area.

“You know there’s the demand for more restaurants because you’ve got downtown residents and people who want to go out to eat this creates a demand down the road for a grocery store.”

It’s not clear yet when the project will be completed.