Ashtin Barker
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz said he is frustrated with the growing cost of The Classic Center Arena and he is “reasonably confident” that the arena will open August 2024, nine months later than initially anticipated.
Girtz discussed the progress of the arena, surrounding commercial and residential development and its impact on Athens during a Dec. 1 press conference at the University of Georgia.
With the delay in construction, the project total is now projected to be approximately $150 million, he said, with $34 million of funds coming from SPLOST revenue. The arena is partially funded by the SPLOST, an additional sales tax approved by the voters of Athens-Clarke County in 2019, and is also funded by bonds and private fundraising.
“I learned over 17 years in local public policymaking that nothing ever happens as fast as I would like so I’m gonna be delighted when it comes out of the ground,” Girtz said. “Do I wish that timeline was faster? Absolutely.”
The arena is predicted to bring 600 new jobs to Athens and have a $33 million annual economic impact.
Athens is home to a historic music scene with venues like the Georgia Theater and 40 Watt Club. Once open, The Classic Center Arena will be the largest venue in downtown Athens with a capacity of 8,500 people.
“If we’re pulling from anywhere, we’ll be pulling shows out of Greenville or out of Charlotte or out of other larger markets,” Girtz said.
Mallory & Evans Development plans include a 1,200-space parking lot, new hotels, retail and dining space. Lane Westbrook, general manager of the downtown Athens Mellow Mushroom, said he thinks the arena will be good for business and bring more people over to the east side of downtown.
“There’s just many bars, restaurants and retail in this one little bitty area and it’s been that way for as long as I’ve been alive,” Westbrook said. “And, you know, I hate to say it, the strong survive.”
Topics: Concerts, Restaurants, New Jobs, Tourism
Why I Wrote the Story:
The Classic Center Arena is a very large project that is projected to impact Athens in some major ways. Getting the perspectives of those involved with the development of the arena as well as the perspectives of people in the community who will be affected by it is very important. Athens residents should be informed about what is going on in their community and hearing the voice of the mayor and his opinion on the growing cost of the project is important as well. This project is implementing a lot of sustainable energy sources including a large solar array on the roof. I learned a lot about how to report on politicians when writing this story and how to ask good questions.