Athens-Clarke County Mayor Gives Opinion on Upcoming Georgia Square Mall Redevelopment Vote

By Jordan Brehm

Mayor Kelly Girtz is pictured speaking to UGA students about Georgia Square Mall redevelopment plans. (Photo Courtesy/Jordan Brehm)

---

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz is optimistic that a vote at the Mayor and Commission Regular Session March 7th will be in favor of the Georgia Square Mall redevelopment plan.

“I remain positive, and that’s how I get things done,” Girtz told University of Georgia students.

He then went into detail on the $189 million Tax Allocation District (TAD) plan vote during a news conference with University of Georgia students on campus. This multi-million-dollar plan calls for demolishing most of the mall that was built in the 1980s and replacing it with about 1,200 homes and commercial spaces that Girtz says mainly private businesses will occupy. Developers would have to revise and resubmit plans if the vote is not passed in order to have a better chance of support in the future. The mayor wants this project to succeed.

“I don’t want to have my name attached to a gravel pit on Atlanta Highway,” Girtz said when discussing risks associated with the project.

The priorities and goals as stated in the application are “public infrastructure needs, housing opportunities, economic development partnership opportunities, and Clarke County School District and youth development.” Housing opportunities could be helpful

to those in the Athens-Clarke County community right now due to the lack of affordable housing and the homelessness crisis.

The mayor says a family who has an annual income of about $45,000 a year will be capable of affording one of the new apartments. The affordable housing will be under a Land Use Restrictive Agreement that will prevent rent increases for low-income occupants for 40 years.

“I really believe in integrated environments,” said Girtz when asked about socioeconomic tension around this proposal.

This redevelopment plan is separated into three phases and has many benefits that are listed in the TAD financing application. These benefits include $8 million in local state taxes and $5.2 million in property taxes per year, according to the document.

The vote on March 7 regarding the TAD plan is crucial for the mayor and developers who hope to have this project finished by 2025. The mayor told students that Belk has the right to refuse any project regarding the property.

---

Why I Wrote This Story:

I wrote this story because I want the Athens community to be aware of what is happening in town. It is important to stay up to date on current events and local news. The mayor had things to say that others may want to hear. The Georgia Square Mall redevelopment plan is a large project, and things like this take a lot of time, money, and effort. It is crucial that citizens know where their taxes are going. An occurrence like this does not happen often. This story did not have a lot to do with the local music beat that I am currently reporting on, but I think that it could attract more tourists and musicians to our town.