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WHAT'S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
Problematic Development I: Regardless of its
location in downtown Athens, the whole Selig
project revolves around the same old model
that rules in the 'burbs: big store, big parking.
It's these fundamental priorities that appear
to guide the design of the project. They cer
tainly drive the financing of the project, since
without the mega-anchor tenant, the whole
deal doesn't work. Everything else is a Band-
Aid, selected only if it furthers the primary
goal of the big store with a big parking deck
bv appeasing the public.
Until the premise on which the project
is based changes, the community should be
wary. Talk of compromise may move in sev
eral different directions, but the way they're
phrased is key. If the size of the Walmart
anchor is up for discussion, will Selig try to
build a store that's the right size and fit for
downtown, or will they simply propose the
biggest that they think the community will
stomach? Likewise, will any gestures towards
historic preservation represent a recognition
of the value of local
history on Selig's part,
or an appeasement
of the community by
creating a Disney ver
sion of the original,
where only a facade is
preserved?
In the meantime,
Athens is in a wait
ing game, hoping that
Selig will let them have
a look at traffic studies
and final plans before
they go to submit their
proposal officially.
Of course, that's far
from assured, and it's
rather strange for our
decision makers to
bet so heavily on the
timely release of the
traffic study covering
an as-yet theoretical
development. Will we
be caught off-guard
again? Is there other
work to be done in the
meantime? The com
munity could certainly
take the time to firm
up what it has to offer, such as tax allocation
district (TAD)-funded infrastructure improve
ments, and what it might want to see as alter
natives to the objectionable aspects of Selig's
proposal.
One angle that could be more fully
explored is whether or not other city-owned
land on the opposite side of East Broad from
the currently proposed site could be swapped
for the acreage that lies underneath the three
National Register-listed historic structures.
Those buildings could then be turned over to
locals to renovate, since Selig finds the idea
onerous and Athenians are ultimately much
better at creating iconic spaces out of old
buildings. Jittery Joe's could even consider
buying its building outright in such a sce
nario. Meanwhile, the land across the street
could be put back on the tax rolls, and the
whole district would have a strong sense of
place, with an intersection that had all four
corners utilized.
Problematic Development II: Just across the
river from the Selig tract, another project, the
Granite outcrops like this one in southeastern
Clarke County are home to unique ecosystems
which are found almost exclusively in the
Piedmont of Georgia. The outcrop adjacent to the
North Oconee Greenway and the site of Easley's
Mill, where Athens was founded, could soon be
blasted away for five stories of student housing
and associated parking and stormwater retention
structures.
Flats at Easley Mill, has been rolling along
quietly in the background the last few years.
That project, which calls for five stories of
apartments on the former Boys and Girls
Club property on Oconee Street, has con
tinued to proceed despite several changes in
ownership, and it looks like the latest party,
to eye the property is interested in moving
forward soon. As designed, the project would
involve a significant amount of blasting of
the granite rock outcrop there. The granite
rock outcrops in the Georgia Piedmont host a
unique ecosystem, and this one in particular
is the one upon which Athens was founded,
and from which the name "the Cedar Shoals"
is derived.
The student housing complex would front
its stormwater ponds and service drives
directly on the Greenway, which would be a
huge missed opportunity for the community.
The project is another example of how a
more serious push towards TADs could bring
developers to the table to tie their projects
into the community
in a better designed
manner. What's needed
more than anything
is a design overlay
for greenway and rail-
to-trail corridors that
defines what's appro
priate next to these
community resources.
Problematic
Development III:
Lastly, the Sigma Chi
fraternity's lease is
likely to be bought
out by the University
of Georgia sometime
soon, and an alumnus
has acquired property
in Cobbham: the site
of the former Saint
Mary's Hospital on
Milledge. That site,
between Hancock
and Meigs, is drawing
objections from neigh
bors, still stinging from
the Kappa Alpha frater
nity's relocation to the
area a few years back.
These fraternities are moving off campus-
even though there are several spaces in the
fraternity row on River Road—in part because
in their eyes, the university, which decided
to push them off Lumpkin Street in the first
place, isn't exactly a trustworthy landlord.
Perhaps, though, a new model of what a
fraternity or sorority house could be might
alleviate some of the pressure. So long as the
only acceptable way to build a fraternity is
to have a mansion on Milledge, these fights
will continue. Perhaps we should be explor
ing other designs and locations. Commercial
stretches of Baxter and Lumpkin near campus
come to mind as locations that could use the
infill, and are already dominated by rentals,
apartment complexes, and other student-
oriented uses. Perhaps a more urban design
for a residential community could take the
pressure off Milledge and surrounding neigh
borhoods. Is a mixed-use frat house, with
storefronts below and dorms above, too crazy
of a notion?
Kevan Williams athensrising@llagpole.com
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DECEMBER 28, 2011 & JANUARY 4,2012- FLAGPOLE.COM 5
