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WHAT’S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
A pair of six-story residential towers have buildings will be designed to recall the archi-
been proposed for West Broad Street, between tecture of two 19th-century English architects:
Finley and Pope streets. They're coming from H.H. Richardson and Richard Norman Shaw,
the same folks who are building Oak Grove, who produced work that would now be called
the 200-acre New Urbanist-style development Victorian, Queen Anne or Shingle Style. Hill
out on Jefferson Highway. Although in the is quite passionate about the architecture,
long run the projects look to be beneficial researching out-of-print books on the two
ones for Athens, things don't bode well for architects. The attention to detail in the
their easy approval. The buildings will be architecture will help tie the two structures
around 100 feet tall, with 75 units between to the historic neighborhood, he says, add-
them and commercial uses on the ground ing: "It ain't gonna look like Gameday." The
floor. They are on land adjacent to the Dearing architecture will be correct to the time period,
Street Historic District, land which isn't zoned and Hill says he's dedicated to using high-end,
for this type of downtown-style development, genuine materials like real hardwood and
although they're also adjacent to the western brick.
edge of commercial-downtown zoning. The Covenants on the two buildings will also
tower proposed at the corner of Finley and determine appropriate uses for their commer-
Broad is called the Cobblestone; the one at cial portions, Hill says, as a guarantee that
Broad and Pope is the Dearing. the commercial tenants will be appropriate to
the neighborhood. He also emphasizes that
A Precedent?: A project that was similar in the residential units will not be marketed to
scale was proposed for 155 Mitchell St. a students,
few years ago, but it never got anywhere.
Concerns among the ACC Planning Commission Looking Ahead, and Back: Ultimately, down-
which led to its demise included height, town will grow in this direction; Broad Street
proximity to a creek, and how it would relate is our "Main Street," and if tall buildings are
to the adjacent condos and apartments. 155 going to go up anywhere, this is the place for
Mitchell St. was also on land adjacent to them. This community made a decision almost
commercial-downtown zoning, though it was a decade ago that it would create a dense
itself zoned multi-family residential. 155 core and a rural greenbelt. If we're going
Mitchell also had a problem with its driveways to preserve that greenbelt, then we need to
and underground parking access not being start allowing the density necessary for the
well-designed. With the Cobblestone putting core. Unless new residences are built near the
its three driveways onto Finley
Street, similar care will need to
be taken if the developers want to
get it built.
The Details: The properties in play
on Broad are separated by one
owner who decided not to sell.
(Currently occupying that parcel
is a BOS Temporaries agency.) This
ultimately could be a benefit,
since in the future there could
be three different buildings on
the block, rather than a single
megalithic one. The two proposed
towers are to be built into the
side of a hill, which will mask
their true size from Dearing Street. From the central core of the city, the critical mass of
top of the hill on Dearing, you'll see the upper in-town population necessary for things like
two stories of the buildings, similar in height grocery stores will never occur,
to the existing houses of the neighborhood. Looking back to all of the residential
The buildings will also be designed to serve high-rises either proposed or constructed in
as a transition from the downtown area into the last few years, only the Gameday tower
the historic district through their architectural falls within the traditional boundaries of
style. This project will inevitably serve as a downtown. 155 Mitchell., 909 East Broad,
gateway into downtown and the historic dis- 412 Thomas, Georgia Traditions, and these two
trict, and the buildings look to take advantage new proposals all fall outside of that bound-
of that. With a little luck, they might even ary. The proposals for downtown proper have
block the view of the Gameday tower. been mostly commercial. With that in mind.
Height seems to be the biggest worry for it might be worthwhile to allow more towers
these two buildings. Pitched roofs and 14-foot on the edge of downtown, since that's where
ceilings will add a good deal to their height, • the proposals are tending to come from. That
which might be the main sticking point in could put the the local government in a posi-
getting the neighbors on board. Using a flat tion to negotiate for higher-quality buildings;
roof and lowering the ceilings to 12 feet on these two on West Broad could set the bar for
the four residential floors might lower the development outside of the downtown core,
buildings' height by 15 feet, possibly a good West Broad Street it is currently a mix of
compromise. The pitched roofs do serve a mini-strip malls and motels; as a gateway
purpose, however, in collecting rainwater on- into downtown, it is not in good shape. The
site in underground cisterns, and in creating area needs investment to turn it into zn asset
a more residential view for the homes which rather than an eyesore. These two projects
back up to it on Dearing Street. might serve as the catalyst for revamping that
Denny Hill, the developer of these projects, entire corridor. Here's the opportunity; let's
as well as Oak Grove, says he's determined to hope it is taken advantage of.
produce a quality project that will enhance
this gateway into downtown Athens. The two Kevan Williams
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