Athens council authorizes demolition of North City School, keeps property for future use

The Athens City Council voted to authorize the city manager to demolish the North City School structure and retain the real property for future uses, citing long-term value of the land and recurring upkeep costs.

A council member who moved the measure said retaining the nine-acre site preserves a scarce development opportunity and could serve as short-term green space or a park before a long-term plan is selected. Opponents urged exploring a public auction or sale instead of demolition, and warned that remediation costs (asbestos or lead abatement) could push demolition costs into the high five-figures or low six-figures; one council member estimated a demolition range of roughly $180,000 to $250,000 depending on remediation needs.

Council discussion also noted ongoing monthly utility and monitoring expenses (a staff figure of about $5,000 per month was raised for utilities/alarms), and that the city has already invested into building monitoring and repairs in prior months (council cited roughly $60,000 in prior expenditures). Supporters said demolishing the structure would limit ongoing costs and free the land for strategic future decisions; the motion to allow demolition and to retain the parcel passed in a roll-call vote.

Council asked staff to oversee demolition contracting and to return with a timeline and remediation cost estimates, and said proceeds or savings from the property would be considered in future budget or capital planning.