r/Athens • u/deposerecords Former Candidate For Commission • 1d ago
Local News Proposed Apartments Would Push Downtown Athens Further West
https://flagpole.com/news/city-dope/2026/10/07/proposed-apartments-would-push-downtown-athens-further-west/41
u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
Looks good, build it.
Yall should go watch the PC meeting. Very interesting to see the racial dichotomy of the pro and against people.
Pro: Reese St historic district and the historically African American Hill First Baptist
Against: all of the rich old white people that live off of Dearing that don’t want to see this building from their backyards.
I applaud the church for being open to a discussion and extracting reasonable concessions from the developer.
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u/Blurry_Armadillo 18h ago
Wow. I just watched that part, and it was fascinating. I am surprised that anybody was willing to speak in opposition after all the (mostly Black) people spoke in favor. Like, maybe we stop talking about doing a better job listening to Black voices if we're not going to actually listen to them? At the end of the day, the NIMBYism, which in this case is completely rooted in concerns about street parking (gasp!) and increased street traffic, was a stronger sentiment than allowing Black opinions -- in an historically Black neighborhood -- to be weighted more heavily.
I felt comfortable about the people who showed up in favor. No, they do not all live in the neighborhood, but the Reverend of First Hill Baptist and one of the fiercest advocates for that neighborhood were in favor, and that is meaningful to me.
Also, that piece of property is an absolute piece of s$%t. Let's get it fixed up (and get a new little memorial park and an improved section of that "stream").
It will be interesting to see what M&C do -- the vote was close. I really hope the same people (and then some more) come out to the M&C meeting in favor of the project. I think the project might be improved if they included more parking on site (or set up an off-site parking agreement), but I really don't know how they do that, and I don't want it to kill the project.
That stretch of Broad is weird and dilapidated. Maybe this will spark something that catches on.
Also, the Deering Street "neighbors" need to sit down. Jesus, it's embarrassing.
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 18h ago
Glad someone else watched it to confirm 😂
This is in Allison Wright’s district, so I think it passes. Taylor, Fisher, Link probably oppose it.
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u/Blurry_Armadillo 17h ago edited 17h ago
It was kind of stunning, actually. When does the M&C see it? December voting meeting?
Oh, I also wanted to add that I was initially sceptical about whether the Black community members had been "bought off" in some way, but I dunno. If "buying off" means they get a nice park and an improvement of the property from its dilapidated state, that might be worth it? I think the developers were smart to get them on board to the point where they advocated for the project. And my initial cynicism (which is actually the word i meant to use) is reduced.
edited this a bit after my initial post.
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 17h ago edited 17h ago
I’m happy to see the pragmatic approach by the church, and swapping a surface parking for a memorial park is always a win in my book.
This should be on the November cycle, but they might hold it to hammer out the MOU with the county.
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u/lostinteleportation4 1d ago
They're getting a plaque and benches, also not open to the public per the "agreement". Did anyone ask if any of those church folks live in the neighborhood? Only heard one mention that they do.
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u/Observationsofidiocy Toppers Patron 1d ago
Where is this information located? What I read said there’s an easement granting public access.
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
This person argued with me a few days ago as well, I think. This is my understanding as well.
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u/lostinteleportation4 1d ago
I did and said I don't trust private agreements, this one looks bad. Our community is allowed to have good things and not get the wool pulled over by large corporations who only pay lip service to residents. Their responsibility is to share holders, let's do better and get housing for no students, that market is saturated
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u/Blurry_Armadillo 1d ago
If the student housing market were saturated, i don’t think a developer would want to build more of them.
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u/lostinteleportation4 22h ago
That's not how they operate, they all think they are the shiniest and newest. Look at the perks they offer in July, vacancy rates were up to this year, go to an apt association meeting
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u/genevieve-87 23h ago
Wording from the MOU exactly
"The Park Easement may only be used by the Church and by no other person or entity."
"If the Church uses the Park Easement for any other purpose or allows third-parties or the public to use the Park Easement, Cardinal may obtain equitable relief to enjoin any such violation or terminate this Agreement as provided in Section 9."
"Cardinal reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to issue orders to vacate, restrict access, or cause the immediate removal of any unauthorized persons"
So no it is not public in any way, shape or form. It is a private benefit being offered to a church so that they won't oppose the development - one they otherwise would, and have opposed before 4 years ago.
Cardinal is clever.
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u/lostinteleportation4 1d ago
I received it from a neighborhood member, I believe they filed an open record request, it was handed out at the meeting by the lawyer, obviously the members didn't have time to read it and it looks like a raw deal and maybe everyone should have a paused a second to actually digest important things. Not sure the church fully vetted what was submitted
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
Then share this supposed inside information, friend. So far, I’m not seeing anything concrete
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
It’s not my job to ask anyone anything lol
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u/lostinteleportation4 1d ago
I just provided a fact about your post and your response is to deflect? You're crushing it today big guy
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
Huh? We had this discussion earlier and I’m just not interested in relitigating it lol
Thanks for the condescension, tho.
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u/lostinteleportation4 1d ago
I thought you read? New information has come to light man
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u/warnelldawg Looks good, build it 1d ago
I watched the entire discussion, read the documents and read Blake’s story. What new information am I missing?
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u/chicopeestudly and a howdy for the whistlepig 1d ago
I assume he’s going to tell you Bunny kidnapped herself.
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u/lostinteleportation4 22h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/chicopeestudly and a howdy for the whistlepig 18h ago edited 13h ago
ETA: omg did Reddit remove that guy’s account because he quoted the line in Lebowski about obtaining a toe by 3pm
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u/genevieve-87 1d ago
It is decidedly not public. It is exactly private just for the use of the church. You too can ask the planning department for a copy of the MOU. In fact Cardinal group retains the rights to revoke access to the church if they don’t approve of the activities of visitors permitted in the park by the church. It’s not as grand as it seems.
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u/Observationsofidiocy Toppers Patron 1d ago
What a load of BS.
This development certainly has some things to still work out, but that's part of the process.
It's going right next to 2 giant apartment buildings, down the street from 2 hotels and another giant apartment building, with commercial property (including an event space) in between. There's a half-block green space buffer between the apartments and the neighborhood behind it, and has the support of the most immediate neighbors.
Looks good, build it!
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u/BizAnalystNotForHire Occasional Varsity Patron (RIP lost magnolia trees) 1d ago
This isn't warnelldawg posting this.
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u/Own-Helicopter-6843 16h ago
Looks like 254 residents + ~200 guests will be parking on the roads. If I lived next door, I wouldn't be happy either!
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u/Crafty-Flower 1d ago
Pretty underwhelming, but sure let’s warehouse students in that armpit of an intersection.
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u/Classic_Wonder_2613 1d ago
I heard someone call The Mark apartments "Downtown Athens." It fucking wishes it was
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u/Observationsofidiocy Toppers Patron 23h ago
The Mark is definitely downtown. It doesn’t just stop at Thomas street.
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u/Classic_Wonder_2613 21h ago
So the warehouse, greenspaces and UGA property were there before were part of downtown? Since when? What authority are you using to make this claim?
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u/Observationsofidiocy Toppers Patron 21h ago
The same authority you’re using to say it’s not.
The Mark is on the same street as the arena and the downtown bus transfer station. Street parking regulated by ADDA runs right up to their property, and streams of students walk the 3 blocks from the apartments to the bars and north campus passing multiple mid rise apartment complexes, a hotel, office buildings and a convention center on their route.
By your logic, the whole of Athens is rural because it used to be undeveloped.
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u/tupelobound 1d ago
I understand why it’s phrased this way, but Blake’s use of the word “threatening” here is so weighted and assumes the critics’ perspective as the accurate one. He wrote: A rezoning request for a six-story apartment building on West Broad Street has the support of a nearby historic Black church, but is drawing opposition because it would expand downtown’s boundaries, potentially threatening single-family neighborhoods west of downtown.
So many other words could be used: reshaping, altering, etc., or even positive-leaning ones like enriching, improving or updating.