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ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
scape the
and relax with
is of wine or beer
on our patio
ADDA Mattas: Last week, it was mentioned
here that the Athens Downtown Development
Authority would hold a special called meet
ing to discuss the possibility of creating a
downtown master plan, despite the lack of
funds set aside for said plan in Athens-Clarke
County's budget for the upcoming fiscal
year. That meeting has been set for this
Wednesday, June 20 at 5 p.m. in the first-floor
conference room at the Athens Area Chamber
of Commerce on Hancock Avenue, and will be
the occasion for a presentation from Daniel
Nadenicek and Jack Crowley, the UGA College
of Environment and Design's dean and plan
ning and design graduate program
head, respectively. It's open to
the public, and if you feel like
you have a stake in the future of •
downtown, you should try to make
it.
"Tm really excited to hear
what they have to say," says ADDA
Director Kathryn Lookofsky, who
says a master plan is "desper
ately needed." It seems certain, .
anyway, that working with the
college—a local resource that
cart save costs, for instance, by
integrating the work with its
course curriculum—is about the
only option on the table at this -
point for getting a master plan
done. No financial figures related
to the college's proposal have
yet been bandied about, but if
the tab is significantly below the
$100,000-$200,000 range that's
been estimated as the cost of
working with a commercial design
firm, the ADDA would presumably
foot the bill itself.
"There have been no alloca
tions made," says Lookofsky, "but
that could change."
Speaking of saving costs, the
ADDA expects to do some more
of that by moving its offices from
the Fred Building on College Avenue to the
aforementioned Chamber headquarters, which
should happen sometime around the end of
the summer. Plus, Lookofsky sees the added
proximity to the Economic Development
Foundation, which also has its offices in the
building, and the Chamber itself as something
that will help the organizations coordinate
their efforts to improve the commercial
viability of Athens' central district.
"I think we can't help but have more
interaction," Lookofsky says, and she figures
prospective clients will be helped by the more
efficient set-up, too. "If you want to bring a
business to Athens," she says, "you walk into
that building."
Hey, it can't hurt, right?
Speak No Evil: As summer kicks into gear, -
Selig Enterprises has been quiet on where
they are in their plans to develop the series of
parcels adjacent to the eastern edge of down
town composed mostly of the Armstrong &
Dobbs property. Selig Senior Vice President Jo
Ann Chitty said by email Friday: "We continue
to work on the layout and design. We are talk
ing to retailers and gathering information on
retail demands in Athens and the marketplace.
There is no firm timeline on submitting plans
to ACC."
And indeed the ACC Planning Department
has not received anything from Selig in
several months, according to Bruce Lonnee,
Senior Planner.
Of course, the building leased by the
Jittery Joe's Roaster is part of that swath,
too, and the business' proprietors are expect
ing to hear by the end of June whether they're
staying or going.
The option Selig holds on the properties,
which was extended at the beginning of May,
expires at the end of July. But unless Selig
gets another extension, the property owners
have to be notified by the end of this month
whether the Atlanta developer is buying or
not. If the sale is going through, the Roaster
will have an additional 60 days from the end
of the option period to vacate the building,
according to Charlie Mustard, the Jittery Joe's
roast master.
In regard to the option, Chitty said, "As far
as terms of any contractual agreements, they
are confidential and we will not comment on
them."
So, just like you and the Dope, Charlie's
in the dark. "We want to stay here," he says,
but he has no idea whether or not that's in
the cards, and he likely won't know until June
30. He says his business relies on the word-
of-mouth interest that's generated by down
town tours and curious walk-ins. "To move
outside of [downtown] would not be good."
The ancient shed that houses the Roaster is
tailor-made for roasting and storing the tens
of ti. jusands of pounds of coffee be "is Charlie
has to keep on hand; to find another suitable
building that he could afford, he'd probably
have to look outside the perimeter.
The thousands of Athenians who have been
lulled into complacency by Selig's months of
silence had better be ready to hop to it again,
and quick. Something's going to happen in
the next week or two, even if it's just Charlie
being told he'll have to wait some more. But
if it's not, the pressure's going to come down
hard and fast.
Dave Marr news@flagpole.com
Renovations at the ACC library are coming along nicety, but some
of the mature trees on the “islands" in the parking lot were taken
down during work to reconfigure the lot, apparently because they
had grown too large for their placements.
Breakfast, Lunch Sc Dinner
Monday-Saturday
Sc Sunday Brunch
Atote;t "m -I'i :;y.t •'
Broad River Outpdst.com
. _ 70(i) 79j-12-S2
near . ,«***»••
Athenr.
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C A N D
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G£T MORE INTERVIEWS
Sean Cook, Certified Professional
Resume Writer & Career Coach
AthensGACareerCoach.com
4 FLAGPOLE.COM JUNE 20,2012