Blog Topic: Business, Man

In the Loop: Majority Favor Referendum on Liquor by the Drink in Oconee County

By Lee Becker | June 8, 2014 12:41pm

The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce released a report last week showing that 79 percent of its members responding to a Chamber survey said they would like to see a referendum on liquor by the drink on the November ballot.

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In the Loop: New Downtown Plans Are Worse than Selig

By Blake Aued | April 10, 2014 3:22pm

A rendering of the development as seen from Oconee Street.

Did you hate Selig Enterprises' plans for the Armstrong & Dobbs property on the eastern edge of downtown? Wait 'til you see this.

Atlanta-based Selig and its new majority partner, Athens student housing developer Landmark Properties, have submitted new plans drawn up by Oconee County's Williams & Associates for the eight-acre tract between East Broad and Oconee streets—and they're worse than ever.

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In the Loop: Sunshine Cycles Is Moving to Baxter Street

By Blake Aued | April 7, 2014 12:53pm

Sunshine Cycles is moving from downtown Athens to Baxter Street later this month.

Owner Jimmy Marbut had initially planned to close his downtown Athens location for a few weeks starting Apr. 15 while landlord Corky Sams renovated the West Washington Street space, but the anticipated construction time kept growing and growing to about five months.

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In the Loop: Caterpillar Avoided Billions in Taxes

By Blake Aued | April 4, 2014 2:35pm

Caterpillar, the global construction equipment manufacturing firm with a plant in Bogart, dodged $2.4 billion in taxes, according to a U.S. Senate report.

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In the Loop: Junkman's Daughter's Brother, 8e's Bar Closing

By Blake Aued | April 1, 2014 5:53pm

Photo Credit: Blake Aued

Mark Gavron at Junkman's Daughter's Brother

Junkman's Daughter's Brother—downtown Athens' source for band T-shirts, posters, Halloween costumes and quirky gifts for 28 years—is closing.

Mark Gavron, 59, said he is ready to retire and is planning to close when his massive East Clayton Street space's lease is up at the end of August, although there's a chance his landlord could extend it until January.

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In the Loop: Another Student Housing Development Proposed for Armstrong & Dobbs Downtown

By Blake Aued | March 26, 2014 4:44pm

The Armstrong & Dobbs property as seen from Oconee Street.

Athens-based student-housing developers Landmark Properties is in the process of buying at least part of the former Armstrong & Dobbs property near downtown Athens.

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Grub Notes: Hugh Acheson Talks Italian Cooking

By Blake Aued | March 3, 2014 3:18pm

Photo credit: Taylor Oxendine.

In an interview with Atlanta Magazine, Five & Ten founder Hugh Acheson talks about his new Savannah restaurant, the Florence, and the similarities between Italian cuisine and the Southern cooking he's known for.

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In the Loop: No, Lee's Wigs Is Not Closing

By Blake Aued | February 27, 2014 1:41pm

A misleadingly-headlined Athens Banner-Herald article today (warning: paywall) left some readers with the impression that Lee's Wigs downtown is closing. It is not.

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In the Loop: Thanks to Student Apartments, Oconee Building Permits Top Pre-Crash Levels

By Lee Becker | February 17, 2014 10:32am

Athens Ridge

The Oconee County Code Enforcement Office issued 502 single family and town home permits in 2013, exceeding the number issued for residential construction in 2006—before the housing collapse of a year later.

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In the Loop: Mayor Nancy Denson Is Rolling in Dough

By Blake Aued | February 9, 2014 2:15pm

Mayor Nancy Denson is on pace to raise six figures for her re-election campaign. She raised $28,356 last month, bringing her total to $45,971 and had $35,055 cash on hand as of Jan. 31, according to a report filed Feb. 7 with the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections.

Political and development figures are funding a big part of her campaign.

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