This is a significant departure from previous assertions that the Selig proposal “met zoning” and was therefore a “done deal.” Our position has always been that the Selig proposal does not meet design guidelines and will require action from the ACC Mayor and Commission and/or ACC Planning Commission.

It is therefore important that we understand the project design, in particular the ways in which it is inappropriate for this site in terms of its inward focus and the attendant lack of interaction with the Greenway/Rail Trail, the scale of the anchor tenant, and the auto-centric nature of the design. These are the issues our website addresses.

The following synopsis of materials presented at the Federation of Neighborhoods forum is an attempt to provide new perspectives on the amount of dead space created by the parking decks, the relative retail opportunities represented by the scale of this development, and the auto-centric nature of this proposal.

Disclaimer: The images are presented with our best estimates of distances given that, without detailed plans, we can only work with the renderings Selig has provided. We provide a template by which you can judge our accuracy for yourself.

As the development’s floor plan (as presented by Selig at Seligathens.com) shows, only building E and a small percentage of building B offer any opportunity for pedestrian interaction with individual businesses from the exterior of the development. Buildings A and B, adjacent to Wilkerson and the Greenway respectively, present the rear of multistory parking structures to those approaching from either direction. It’s worth noting that pedestrians on Oconee Street could only access the business nearest downtown in Building E from the interior of the development.

To understand the pedestrian experience of “dead space,” those familiar with Athens can consider the rear of the UGA parking deck on Jackson Street, which requires pedestrians to walk about 470 feet without seeing anything other than the back of a parking garage.

The “short side” of the Selig proposal along Wilkerson Street creates 420 feet of dead space, where a pedestrian would walk alongside two levels of parking with a 94,000 sq ft big box on top of them. Again, Wilkerson Street is the “short side.”

The long side of the development, along the Greenway/Rail Trail, extends approximately 700 feet and is also almost entirely comprised of dead space – the side and rear of two parking decks. The only break in this space is a 20-yard wide, 40+ vertical steps from the Greenway to the main shopping plaza.

The block from College to Lumpkin, Broad to Clayton contains 26 businesses and thousands of square feet of office space. A variety of uses enhances a vibrant downtown. An auto centric big box does not.

Hickory Street Extension

Another issue with the current version of this proposal is the failure to include the required extension of Hickory Street from the multimodal center to Oconee Street. Changing the location of the right-of-way for the Hickory Street extension would require a vote by the ACC Hearings Board. Failure to include this extension at all in final plans will require a vote by the Mayor and Commission to amend the Transportation Corridor Concept Map as adopted in 2010. This issue was not addressed by Protect Downtown Athens at the Federation forum.

Coverage of the Federation forum:

• Panelists critique downtown Athens Walmart’s design
• Editorial: Discussion of Selig plan becoming more productive