It's no coincidence that Silla is located just a few strides from the future Augusta Common.

Felton Mitchell, who owns Silla with his wife, Tae, said he expects his lunch business to double once the downtown park opens in late October.

"I expect to hire more employees; the menu will expand. We'll start staying open later on First Friday, and if that goes well we're thinking of opening on weekends as well," Mr. Mitchell said.

Downtown is bustling with development in anticipation of the Common project and the arrival of the Richmond County School District offices, which will move downtown in late 2003 and bring about 200 employees to the area.

Repair work has already begun on the roof of the old J.B. White building in the 900 block of Broad Street. A group of local investors are in the final stages of plans to convert the top three floors of the former department store into loft apartments. Engineering plans are finished; a contractor has been selected; the group is actively seeking financing.

"We're talking to lenders almost everyday," said Turner Simkins, the vice president of Augusta Renaissance Partners. "If we could get the right financing, we could start right away. The building would be ready in a little over a year."

Customers eat lunch at the cafe. After the park opens, the Mitchells expect to hire more employees, expand the menu and stay open later on First Fridays. KEVIN MARTIN/STAFF

The old White building is a short distance from the empty H.L. Green and Davison department store buildings, where the school district will open offices in late October or early November 2003.

Architectural plans to remodel the buildings are completed and school officials are in the process of hiring a contractor, spokesman Justin Martin said.

"In a way, there will be more than just 200 employees moving downtown," he added. "There will be staff development classes, training and administrators meeting downtown. We'll also have a constant flow of people coming in from the schools, and multicounty functions will meet there as well."

The Downtown Development Authority expects more businesses to open and expand in the coming year, Executive Director Chris Naylor said. More people working downtown could lead to more people living downtown; more residents could lead to the development of more retail and entertainment establishments.

"Things are moving in the right direction," Mr. Naylor said.

Reach John Bankston at (706) 823-3352 or john.banks@augustachronicle.com.