Augustans will soon be saying goodbye to one of their biggest venues.

On Tuesday, local leaders and members of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority ceremoniously broke ground on the new James Brown Arena to replace the old one.

“In 1979, this facility was brought into operation, and I remember as a kid my very first concert was the Parliament-Funkadelic,” said Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson. “This new arena represents the next generation moving forward for all of these kids. … I can’t wait until they’re our age and they’re telling stories of where they were.”

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Project manager HB Brantley said he’s happy for Augusta and that this has been a long time coming.

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that came about to make this a reality,” he said. “We’re proud for the community. We’re happy for the community. I know the community will be happy when they get the final product as well.”

Brantley said demolition bids are due in July, with the notice to proceed to be issued by late July/early August. It will take three-to-four months to demolish the arena. The coliseum authority’s chairman Cedric Johnson said, once demolition is complete, it will take about three years to complete. This puts the new James Brown Arena opening around late 2027.

Over the years, the JBA has hosted a variety of concerts, festivals, graduations, and other events. However, more than 40 years of wear and tear have left a mark.

The new arena will not only be much bigger, but it will have the infrastructure and technology to support today’s hottest acts and their more complicated shows. It will also connect to the recently redeveloped Bell Auditorium so the two venues can better share resources.

This was made possible by a temporary sales tax voters approved last fall. The tax ends as soon as the project is fully funded.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta breaks ground on new James Brown Arena, demo starting soon