ATHENS — Across the street from the iconic arch entrance to the University of Georgia campus, construction on an enticing gateway to downtown bars and restaurants is expected to begin next year.
The plan calls for a multimillion-dollar transformation of College Square, the section of College Avenue between the arch and City Hall. Brick pavers will replace asphalt. Outdoor seating will increase. Trees will be added to mimic the feel of nearby old campus.
“We see it as kind of a handshake between the university and downtown,” said David Lynn, director of planning and outreach for the Athens Downtown Development Authority.
The arch, built before the Civil War, has stood unchanged for generations. The area across East Broad Street, however, has gone through numerous updates. When businesses fled downtown in the late 1970s and 1980s for the Georgia Square mall on the Westside , the local government invested hundreds of thousands to install sidewalks and landscaping. The aim was to encourage foot traffic that would help attract businesses.
Over the years, the idea of closing off the road to vehicles has surfaced several times. In 2016, Athens‐Clarke County hired independent engineering firms for traffic studies to check the viability of such a plan. Despite favorable feedback, and potential options including wider sidewalks and bike lanes, no wholesale changes were made.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a move in 2020.
College Square was closed to car traffic to make space for outdoor seating so restaurants could remain open while complying with social distancing protocols. The closure was initially set for 180 days but became permanent in 2021.
“Prior to COVID, most merchants were opposed to closing it to vehicles,” because of removing parking places, Lynn said. “But COVID showed possibilities.”
Now there are picnic tables lining both sides of the street. The businesses on College Square include Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Walker’s Pub and Coffee and The Grill, the oldest downtown restaurant, as well as a hair salon, clothing boutique and a sports memorabilia shop. On a sunny afternoon in November, seats were occupied by people with laptops sipping iced coffees. Other tables were filled with groups having lunch. One man strummed an acoustic guitar with a dog lying nearby.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
The vibe is ideal, Lynn said, but there are reminders that College Square is in transition. The blacktop previously for cars still has painted markings indicating turn lanes and parking spots.
“Even in its beta phase now, it’s great to have a space where folks can hang out, get a meal and drink a smoothy,” said Athens mayor Kelly Girtz. “It’s going to be even better when it’s aesthetically as attractive.”
The overall construction cost is estimated about $6 million, with $500,000 coming from a special purpose local option sales tax. The rest will be funded by the Downtown Development Authority.
“Our board is very aggressive right now about improving the environment downtown,” Lynn said. “They didn’t want to wait 20 years for this to happen, and it’s not going to get any cheaper as years go by.”
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
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