Expanded with third floor. Both second and third will be student apartments. The first floor will have an unspecified business tenant. 

http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/article_4bd60174-83f7-11e1-bc42-0019bb2963f4.html

Now we just need to get the Woolworth's building redeveloped... How long is that prime piece of real estate going to sit empty?

Maybe so. I've always said that if they subdivided that building into smaller retail spaces they would do a better job of finding tenants.

I've always assumed that once they got apartments in the upper levels of the Woolworth's building the owners were making enough money to just leave the lower floors empty.  Last I knew those lower floors were still just big open spaces.  I figure it would take quite an investment to change it up.  No?

The old Burger King site is a mystery to me.  I hear the rent is huge and the company in charge of the building is picky about the type of business they want in there.  And, again, the apartments above make it less an issue.

I'm sure the apartments above make money, but it seems like they'd be pretty prime locations with good foot traffic.  Strange to me they've been shuttered so long (Burger King did have a political office in it for a few months around the '08 election, but that's it).

Interesting thought. I don't know about BID laws in Ohio but maybe the Court Street business owners could organize a BID and use the money for streetscape improvements and the possible acquisition of these properties. Then they could pursue opportunities that would complement the current makeup of businesses on the street.

Yes, they should set a rent ceiling and watch the rental units disappear.

I'm afraid you have it totally backwards.  It's because of the increased density that you are seeing the problems that you have today.  The city created student ghettos and environment for the behavior that was on display at Palmerfest.  You just can't pack that many folks in a small area and not expect problems.

My feelings on this is why Athens is so screwy.  I don't want student housing bigger than 3 stories or whatever was listed as the maximum.  And, I also want to stop rentals from creeping into my near east side neighborhood.  Makes sense, eh?

WARNING THE TIRADE BELOW REPRESENTS THREAD DRIFT AT ITS WORST.  VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED, FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. 

That's what happens when you have a crazy hippie as mayor.  Let me add that though he is a crazy hippie, he's kind of nice guy.  At one point, the city fathers and mothers didn't want high-rise apartments for fire-safety reasons; however, the city fire department has since the 1960s had a tower truck capable of reaching the top of Bromley Hall (aka College Inn at one point) from the bottom of High Street.  Since that argument makes no sense they dropped it for the most part, and now claim it has something to do with not destroying Athens' "viewshed."  This is a term that hippies and hippie wannabes seem in love with these days.  All sorts of development-oriented and progressive steps (in the true meaning of the word) are blocked, or attempted to be blocked, in the name of saving or preserving a viewshed.  I'm all for preserving important aspects of the past -- particularly preserving old buildings with historical significance -- but I don't believe I have some Constitutional right to have a particular viewshed preserved because cutting down a few trees on a hillside or somewhere else offends my sense of dignity.  Trees, BTW, are a renewable resource.  Almost all of Ohio -- with about three small exceptions -- has been timbered at least three times since the early 1800s.  The Athens Tree Commission is a completely ridiculous attempt by hippie government to control actions of citizens that are completely a matter of personal discretion if you take your Constitutional rights seriously.    

I had a whole response typed up to tell you how ridiculous you are, but then I deleted it. You know what OCF, you are a genius. I completely support your anti-Hippie, Progressive campaign to make Athens a better place.

Here's my simple advice to you - Cut the trees down. Chop all those f*ckers down. The constitution tells you how smart and progressive you are. Build everything 10-20 stories. No, wait. Don't stop there. Go 20-30 stories. Put up a sign that says "hey, piss in this elevator" in every building. Then give these same 2-story landlords autonomy over these 30 story buildings and let them get lax on maintenance and safety. Couple rapes here or there b/c the place is poorly lit. Couple fires here or there b/c they took a few shortcuts. No A/C in the warmer months. Elevators consistently out of service for kids on the 24th floor. This will work swimmingly.

Probably should call AEP while you're at it, and incentivise them to build a coal-fired plant right there by Pruitt Field. Make sure it's dirty. Real f*cking dirty. Get it as smoggy as possible in that little hell whole of a town. What you wanna do is keep anyone from wanting to come back to spend money in 5 years. Really make sure they understand that what Athens needs is more 1/2 vacant strip malls, bare hillsides, and urban blight. What you gotta do is take away any semblance of nostalgia or beauty. Serious, get the hell rid of any kind of aesthetic draw the place might have. We can't have those hippies talking about aesthetics, green spaces, beauty, or anything like that. God, they just get in the way of progress.

Man, it's good to have a Progressive brother like you, OCF. Once we take care of Athens and all this ridiculous forestry and green space, let's focus on these Casinos next. Bastards. Oops, my bad. Wait, you don't want casinos? More crime and prostitution? Nah, never proven in study after study. Jesus didn't want you to gamble? Oh, I see. We're progressives right? We want the money in Ohio? We don't? Shit, I can't follow you on all this.

Ditto.

Planted in your yard or on the devil strip?