Downtown Athens gateway breaks ground, with opening timed for UGA football season

ATHENS — Work is underway across from the University of Georgia’s famous arch to build a fresh gateway to downtown bars, restaurants and shops.

Construction crews broke ground last month on the College Square Redesign project, a partnership between Athens-Clarke County and the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

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For decades, downtown Athens has lacked a true central gathering spot, according to David Lynn, director of planning and outreach for the Athens Downtown Development Authority. The project is expected to enhance the game-day experience and year-round foot traffic, giving the Classic City a more unified, pedestrian-friendly heart.

“This converts an abandoned roadway across the street from the most important institution in town,” Lynn said, “The site where thousands of visitors, students and employees cross every day and is important to our downtown economy and culture.”

The iconic UGA arch, standing largely unchanged since before the Civil War, has long anchored the campus entrance. The streetscape across East Broad Street, however, has seen repeated changes.

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When businesses fled downtown for Georgia Square Mall in the late 1970s and 1980s, the county invested heavily in sidewalks and landscaping to draw foot traffic back. Ideas to close the road to vehicles surfaced multiple times, including a 2016 traffic study that recommended wider sidewalks and bike lanes — but no major changes followed.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift in 2020, when College Square was temporarily closed to cars to make way for outdoor restaurant seating. The closure became permanent in 2021.

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The redesign replaces asphalt with brick pavers, expands outdoor seating and adds trees to echo the shaded feel of UGA’s nearby North Campus. Officials also aim to host events such as live music, farmers markets and street festivals.

“We think the space will generate economic development,” Lynn said. “Businesses will want to follow interest around the site of a beautiful new plaza.”

Credit: Fletcher Page

Credit: Fletcher Page

Lynn said the project will cost between $6 million and $7 million, with $500,000 coming from a special-purpose local option sales tax. The remainder will be funded by the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

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Officials aim for substantial completion by early September, with the space opening before Georgia football’s first home game Sept. 5 and full project wrap-up by October.

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