Newspaper Page Text
The Red and Black
Page ioB
Thursday. November 12,19X1
Progress planned well into future
As Mark Twain once
said, “The reports of
my death are greatly ex
aggerated.”
This seems to be the
motto of downtown
Athens, which nine
months ago saw the
opening of Georgia
Square Mall and the
resulting exodus of its
three biggest depart
ment stores, Davison’s,
Belk and J.C. Penney.
Some observers said
the loss the big stores’
attracting power would
spell doom for the
dozens of downtown
specialty stores,
restaurants, nightclubs
and theatres.
But now, reaction
among downtown mer
chants is guardedly op
timistic. Some even say
the move has actually
helped the area by free
ing parking and causing
the merchants to work
closer together.
The formal opening
of College Square is a
big step in the Athens
Downtown Develop
ment Authority’s conti
nuing plan, now in its
third year, to revitalize
the downtown area.
The $200,000 project
has made College
Avenue between Broad
and Clayton streets a
mall more attractive to
pedestrian traffic while
maintaining a reduced
flow of cars into the
area.
From page 9
Avenue, right onto Col
lege and right again on
to Washington Street.
It makes a left at Hull
and a quick left onto
Clayton Street before
cutting through College
Square and heading
east on Broad Street,
The Lucy Cobb then
circles north campus on
Jackson, Baldwin and
Lumpkin streets back
up to Clayton. It goes
east until turning left on
Thomas Street and
TROLLEY
again on Washington
back to city hall.
The Lucy Cobb is a
venture of BSR
Economic Development
Corp. and is sponsored
by over 20 downtown
merchants. Although a
ride costs 25 cents, most
of the money to run the
trolley comes from
advertising on the vehi
cle, Burnett said.
“This is a free enter
prise thing,” Burnett
said. "There is no
government money in
volved with this. If the
market is there and
there is a need for
something like this, then
it will continue. But it
must pay its own way.”
Burnett said the fare
only seems to cost
students more than the
two bus systems.
Students and taxpayers,
however, fund those
rides as part of fee
payments and govern
ment subsidies. “You
don’t ride anything for
free,” he said.
Yogurt’s Last Stand is still in demand after 4
years of serving Athens the best soft frozen yogurt
in town along with your favorite yogurt dishes-20
scrumptious toppings to choose from, plus our
famous pita sandwiches and fresh salads.
153 N. Jackson St.
548-3497
— Hours—
10-6 Mon.-Sat.
Fri.til 9 p.m.
We feature daily specials
The project has in
creased the effective
sidewalk width from
8-10 feet to 14-15 feet of
useable space. The
street has been narrow
ed from 80 to 50 feet,
with parallel parking
spaces replacing the old
angled method. The
area now has benches,
shrubs, trees and
lighting in keeping with
the pedestrian objec
tive.
Rehabilitation of the
top two floors of the
College Square
Building, the former
home of the Varsity,
continues. Owners Don
Osborne and George
and Donna Gladbach
are continuing an
upgrading into office
space. One tenant was
scheduled to move in
|
earlier this week, with
the entire building
scheduled to be full by
early next year.
The building, erected
in 1845, is on the Na
tional Historic Register.
The changes at Col
lege Square, however,
are just part of a
general revitalization of
the downtown area. On
ly a few years ago, the
area was in danger of
following many other
downtowns across the
country, beset by pro
blems from white flight
and suburban malls.
Several construction
and rehabilitation pro
jects in the area il
lustrate business con
fidence in the continued
viability of downtown,
and some entrepreneurs
have big plans for 1
development.
Architects were
scheduled this week to
present plans for the
reworking of the
Michael Brothers
building, the former
home of Davison’s. The
owners of the property,
Fred Loef and Bob
Blumberg, plan to struc
ture a multi-use facility
around a quality
restaurant, with retail
shops and professional
office space as possible
additions.
Loef said he plans to
extend the second-floor
mezanine and put in an
atrium between the first
and second floors to in
crease the sense of
structural changes can
be made, Loef said.
spaciousness. Because
the bulding, built in
1922, is on the National
Historic Register, few See Downtown, p. 11
Our Six Year Affair with
Downtown Athens has
been mutually
beneficial
As an integral part
of College Square,
We invite you to
come and
celebrate the
Grand Opening
w ith Us.
10 to 50%
off on all garments
10 to 20%
off on all Danskin Items
!
i
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\ FOREIGN AFFAIRS
L. 128 College Square • Athens -J
The most unique store in
Open til 8PM Thurs.