Jaxon Meeks
A multimillion-dollar plan to redevelop the Georgia Square Mall may be in jeopardy.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz discussed the conflicts that surround the project in a press conference on Friday at the South Instructional Plaza.
The project plan’s initial decision was planned for Feb. 7. However, the decision was tabled until a special session on Feb. 21 where it was tabled again. The next agenda meeting will take place on March 7 when commissioners will vote on the plan.
Key issues include the number of proposed housing units that will be affordable to low-income households. According to the developer’s Tax Allocation District (TAD) application, only 118 out of the 1,188 units will be at 80% AMI, which is around $34,000.
According to the ACC website, TAD uses property taxes that go over an established baseline and puts it into a fund. However, the developers need to send an application explaining why they want to use that pool of money to finance their development.
One of the requirements on the TAD application is to have residential development provide 20% of the proposed units at 80% Average Median Income (AMI). But the developers explained in their application that they could only do 10% affordable housing due to other project amenities like a multi-modal transit station, walking trails, green spaces, dog parks and playground areas.
“So while our baseline sort of goal is exactly as you described, 20% of the units at 80% AMI. If we want to get there, either we have to draw more TAD revenue or we’ve got to cheapen the value of the project,” Girtz said.
During the Feb. 21, 2023 special called session, Commissioner Mike Hamby was critical of the negotiations between the developers and the Mall Area Redevelopment Committee (MARC). He said that the developers were refusing the MARC’s request of 60% AMI for 20% of the housing units proposed for the project.
Last year, Athenians protested about tenants facing housing insecurity. A Florida-based investment company purchased numerous affordable housing units throughout Athens and residents saw their rents spike.
Girtz, however, remains positive that an agreement will be reached.
“And so right now I’m focused on March 7,” Girtz said, “If, by some twist of fate, March 7 doesn’t happen, I’ll look to get back to the table and say, ‘Well how do we take a different shot at this?’”
1 Math was done by taking the average median income ($42,415 as of 2021) and dividing it by 80% (.80)
Why I Wrote the Story:
This news conference was the first conference I attended and it put my skills as a note-taker, photographer and social media writer to the test all at once. The topic was chosen because it connected to my beat and gave the audience details about how affordable housing will be discussed throughout the Mall Redevelopment project.