Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

120 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 For nearly 60 years, Cox Communications has been providing reliable, affordable cable TV services to communities across the nation. All along the way, we’ve focused on delivering value by connecting customers to the things and people they care about most in ways that are easy-to-use and reliable.  But for many of our neighbors in the more rural parts of Kansas, we’re the new kid in town. Our broadband network enables access to education, healthcare services and employment opportunities and will stimulate the economy with innovative technology solutions that will grow local businesses and attract new ones. Cox is committed to building a better future for the next generation; through access and affordable connectivity options, we’re moving the needle on digital equity for our neighbors in Kansas and across the country. Multi-year, multimillion-dollar investments in our fiber network is enabling the expansion of our advanced digital internet, video, telephone and home automation services to residents and businesses in Kansas who have previously been without broadband connectivity. Successful public-private partnerships have also enabled us to extend our reach, bringing the digital economy to underserved and rural communities in Kansas, making progress toward closing the digital divide. We’re so glad to be here.For more information, visit: www.cox.com/getfiber Cox Communications: Champions for digital equity and economic vitality “We are invested in making the Red Brick District a fantastic place. There are now 30 to 35 new businesses that have opened in the city over the last few years,” says Josh Shaw, City Manager of Augusta, Kansas. Many visitors to the city don’t realize that Augusta is a lake community with two lakes spanning between 160 - 200 acres. Augusta Lake is situated within the city limits, which offers residents access to 4.4 miles of shoreline with parks and playgrounds dotted around it. City management would like to encourage some housing developments around the lake and is developing multiple outdoor attractions. The residents of Augusta love taking in the great outdoors. A large project on the go is connecting the city’s trails to the Redbud Rail Trail system, that, when completed, will connect Augusta to the cities of Andover and Wichita, which are the area’s major metros. “Being able to access these areas without a car will be great. It fits into our new vision and also focuses on the community and their quality of life,” says Shaw. The downtown development and main street initiatives fall under the Go Augusta Main Street Initiative. So far, the team has produced compelling packages of developments that have resulted in numerous successes. Augusta is sandwiched between two rivers, which in turn, limits the space that the city has at its disposal. This has meant the city has focused on density and redeveloping its assets, including many historical buildings. Restoring the facades of buildings can be a costly venture, and the city understands this, so they’ve made sure to include those costs in the new redevelopment strategy. ood—for all of us.