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re: Athens Construction Thread
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:30 pm to SquatchDawg
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:30 pm to SquatchDawg
The thing is, Athens needs apartments. No necessarily cookie-cutter student housing like The Standard, but it needs more downtown living options to try and keep young professionals and attract an older crowd. With that comes mixed developments like the one being built on broad and, with new construction, comes corporate entities willing to pay top dollar for those spaces.
Athens is now and has always been doomed to eventually adopt a lot of corporate businesses. It's just the nature of the state we live in as a corporate hub and the student population thriving on the cheap chains. I'd say Oconee has actually provided an indirect service to downtown by intercepting a lot of the corporate stuff in the Connector area. But this is where local businesses and residents of the city really need to make themselves heard; you will not beat the corporate wave, so surf with it. Encourage the local gov to at least control it and guide it toward a productive future rather than accepting any and all proposals that come across the table. Set up the infrastructure now and let a mix of corporate and local businesses fill in the spaces.
Athens is now and has always been doomed to eventually adopt a lot of corporate businesses. It's just the nature of the state we live in as a corporate hub and the student population thriving on the cheap chains. I'd say Oconee has actually provided an indirect service to downtown by intercepting a lot of the corporate stuff in the Connector area. But this is where local businesses and residents of the city really need to make themselves heard; you will not beat the corporate wave, so surf with it. Encourage the local gov to at least control it and guide it toward a productive future rather than accepting any and all proposals that come across the table. Set up the infrastructure now and let a mix of corporate and local businesses fill in the spaces.
1
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:38 pm to tylerdurden24
Alot of it has to do with rents going up and up and up in the storefronts downtown. Big money chains can front a bigger investment on longer term leases that a small business owner can't (or won't) do.
There are only two real alternatives.
1: Government tell the property owners who they can and can't rent to. Not gonna happen.
2: Athenians boycott national chains. Some do. But not enough to make a difference.
Regarding Hull to Milledge on Broad...
All, not most, but All, literally All of the housing down that strip, three blocks deep on each side, is poor people. High crime people. Even if you could subsidize some hip trendy businesses setting up along that strip, you still couldn't get people to walk down there. Why walk down there for a slice of pizza when there's 6 pizza places already downtown? Why walk down there to drink a pitcher and watch a game, when there's 42 places downtown? Should I walk down there to get a pita or an ice cream cone? Plenty of pita and ice cream downtown. Do you see where I'm going with this?
Regarding Prince, and a gateway to Normaltown.
This seems to be happenning organically. The pedestrian problem could be solved easily by getting rid of that dumbass revenue generator in front of the Grit and building an actual pedestrian bridgethere, and at both Milledge and Pulaski. An old timey streetcar from Normaltown to Downtown would be awesome, and Athens used to have streetcars way back when Dallas matriculated. Unfortunately, I don't see this happenning either. There are too many liberals. Why is ACC going to subsidize a massive project like that, for rich white kids living on daddy's money, while the poor black kids of Clarke County still haven't upgraded to the Ipad 13?
There's also something nice about letting Normaltown be Normaltown. It can be its own little thing.
These are my initial thoughts on this subject. I'm not going to proofread, please forgive any disfluencies.
There are only two real alternatives.
1: Government tell the property owners who they can and can't rent to. Not gonna happen.
2: Athenians boycott national chains. Some do. But not enough to make a difference.
Regarding Hull to Milledge on Broad...
All, not most, but All, literally All of the housing down that strip, three blocks deep on each side, is poor people. High crime people. Even if you could subsidize some hip trendy businesses setting up along that strip, you still couldn't get people to walk down there. Why walk down there for a slice of pizza when there's 6 pizza places already downtown? Why walk down there to drink a pitcher and watch a game, when there's 42 places downtown? Should I walk down there to get a pita or an ice cream cone? Plenty of pita and ice cream downtown. Do you see where I'm going with this?
Regarding Prince, and a gateway to Normaltown.
This seems to be happenning organically. The pedestrian problem could be solved easily by getting rid of that dumbass revenue generator in front of the Grit and building an actual pedestrian bridgethere, and at both Milledge and Pulaski. An old timey streetcar from Normaltown to Downtown would be awesome, and Athens used to have streetcars way back when Dallas matriculated. Unfortunately, I don't see this happenning either. There are too many liberals. Why is ACC going to subsidize a massive project like that, for rich white kids living on daddy's money, while the poor black kids of Clarke County still haven't upgraded to the Ipad 13?
There's also something nice about letting Normaltown be Normaltown. It can be its own little thing.
These are my initial thoughts on this subject. I'm not going to proofread, please forgive any disfluencies.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:39 pm to SquatchDawg
I loved Down town Athens. It changed a lot from my first tour in early 80s to my second in late 80s early 90s. There were actually a few chain stores that pulled out in the early 80s and property was cheap. The bars were sparse with juke boxes, 3 kinds of beer and cheap liquor. We all had fun.
Luxury student housing is an embarrassment. My kid lives in the dorm and drives a 12 year old Cherokee we got from a friend for $7k. It is in good shape and has new tires and is safe. What the frick are you teaching your kids by putting them in luxury housing and a $50k car? That's not college.
Luxury student housing is an embarrassment. My kid lives in the dorm and drives a 12 year old Cherokee we got from a friend for $7k. It is in good shape and has new tires and is safe. What the frick are you teaching your kids by putting them in luxury housing and a $50k car? That's not college.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:42 pm to PNW
Meh, we will see but I'm very optimistic. I lived downtown for 3 years and my views definitely changed on what DT really is. It's actually pretty trashy. Maybe some money will clean it up.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:44 pm to athenslife101
When?
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:55 pm to athenslife101
quote:
It's actually pretty trashy.
Can you give me some examples?
Posted on 7/8/15 at 8:59 pm to Peter Buck
2010 to 2013. Id probably pass by 8-9 homeless just walking down broadstreet to my car on week nights. Tons of trash. I understand why people are nostalgic and all but I just don't have it anymore. I talked with a lady who grew up in Athens and went to school in the 80s and she said it was night and day.
This post was edited on 7/8/15 at 9:01 pm
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:04 pm to Peter Buck
quote:
What the frick are you teaching your kids by putting them in luxury housing and a $50k car?
Well said.
How people spend their money and raise their kids is their business - I just don't think they're doing them any favors. I work on campus and the number of new, high-end vehicles out and about being driven by 19 yo's grows every year. These kids have no clue- but maybe their parents make so much $ that they don't need one.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:05 pm to athenslife101
There are more beggars there now than there were when half the stores were empty.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:10 pm to PortlyDawg
quote:
Well said.
How people spend their money and raise their kids is their business - I just don't think they're doing them any favors. I work on campus and the number of new, high-end vehicles out and about being driven by 19 yo's grows every year. These kids have no clue- but maybe their parents make so much $ that they don't need one.
I can tell you from seeing kids like this grow up, it is just not good. Rich parents don't always mean rich kids and it is demoralizing to a lot when they are 30 and living in a shittier place and driving a shittier car than they did in college.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:10 pm to Peter Buck
UGA isn't labeled a "rich kid school" for nothing. I put my own arse through college and I'm still sitting in debt up to my eye balls just to be able to live my senior year in Athens (my parents didn't pay for shite and I lost HOPE). I took out the maximum in loans. My arse is in Cali now but I'm moving back to the Classic City in a couple weeks.
I personally feel that is the best experience.
I personally feel that is the best experience.
This post was edited on 7/8/15 at 9:12 pm
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:11 pm to Peter Buck
quote:
There are more beggars there now than there were when half the stores were empty.
They're practically a local business, specializing in making people feel better about themselves. Just view them as an asset rather than a nuissance. I've had some pretty solid convos with quite a few of them.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:13 pm to tylerdurden24
The full size white lady that always sits on the bench at the corner of College and Clayton.
Yea that one.
I've shook her a time or two.
Yea that one.
I've shook her a time or two.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:13 pm to Peter Buck
quote:
I can tell you from seeing kids like this grow up, it is just not good. Rich parents don't always mean rich kids and it is demoralizing to a lot when they are 30 and living in a shittier place and driving a shittier car than they did in college
yeeeeeeeeep. I drove a 99 Volvo and lived in a shithole apartment with a never-there roommate for $400 a month. Made the transition into married life with a nicer one bedroom apartment and a dog like waking up in heaven. These kids can't possibly have any appreciation for the circumstances they're living in.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:14 pm to PNW
quote:
I've shook her a time or two.
What... what does this mean?
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:14 pm to PNW
I never knew it was a rich kids school. I know there are rich kids there though. I mean, the whole boho thing off Prince and the DT scene was steeped in poor college kids drinking cheap beer and eating cheap food.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:15 pm to tylerdurden24
shite I'm on food stamps as I type. I moved to Athens driving an 01 Cherokee living at The Club.
I'm now driving a '15 Fit living in barracks in the desert
I have no shame.
I'm now driving a '15 Fit living in barracks in the desert
I have no shame.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:16 pm to tylerdurden24
quote:
What... what does this mean?
Her sign pissed me off. Multiple occasions.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:17 pm to Peter Buck
I wouldn't say it's a rich kid school, but the number of kids that are seemingly well off now outweighs the kids that you can tell are struggling or are trying to make it on their own.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 9:18 pm to tylerdurden24
No, UGA is definitely perceived as being a rich kid school. Much like Ole Miss. But way better.
This post was edited on 7/8/15 at 9:19 pm
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