Large downtown development agreement draws praise and requests for more review; commissioners ask for public work session

The Athens-Clarke County mayor and commission on Oct. 21 held an extended agenda discussion of a proposed development agreement with Core Spaces and the Athens Downtown Development Authority to redevelop multiple parcels around 295 East Dougherty Street (item 18 on the agenda). The agreement formalizes terms described in an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) previously approved in June and adds detailed legal documents and easements.

Manager Cowell and staff summarized key provisions of the negotiated development agreement and the public benefits the developer proposes to deliver. Major elements described by staff and developer representatives include:

- Sewer improvements: the developer is responsible for roughly $2.5 million in public sewer upgrades to increase capacity for the site. The IGA envisioned partial credit (a 30% waiver figure staff estimated at about $702,000) in recognition that the upgrades would expand sewer capacity in downtown beyond the project’s direct needs.

- Inclusionary-Zoning payment-in-lieu: Under the project’s inclusionary-zoning option the development team projects about $7.8 million in payment-in-lieu revenue. Staff said the proposal splits that sum into $3.9 million reserved for specific census tracts in East Athens and $3.9 million for funding gap financing for future Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects or similar affordable-housing tools.

- Playground and park provisions: The existing playground footprint at…