Blog Topic: Business, Man

In the Loop: Oconee Board Signs Off on 'Ritz-Carlton of Retirement Communities'

By Lee Becker | January 31, 2020 12:03pm

Landscape architect Ken Beall (right) speaks to the Oconee County Planning Commission.

The Oconee County Planning Commission has recommended that the Board of Commissioners approve a rezoning request for just under 62 acres between Old Epps Bridge Road and the Loop for a large retirement community with 398 residential units.

The project, called Celebration Village Athens–Oconee Campus, will include in Phase 1 two three-story “concierge living” buildings, a three-story assisted living and memory care building, two four-story independent living buildings and 32 independent living cottages.

Phase 2 will include 86 independent living units that will be sold to interested residents who are 55 years old or older.

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In the Loop: Video: Athens Area Residents Protest Creosote-Burning Biomass Plant

By Chris Dowd | January 27, 2020 3:17pm

Photo Credit: Chris Dowd

The Madison Clean Power Coalition held a protest outside the biomass plant in Colbert on Saturday. Over 60 people were present to demand that the plant stop burning creosote-treated railroad ties.

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In the Loop: Live-Work-Play Development Planned in Watkinsville

By Lee Becker | January 20, 2020 2:15pm

Photo Credit: Lee Becker

The Watkinsville City Council on Wednesday authorized City Manager Sharyn Dickerson to move forward with creation of a development agreement for the 66.6-acre former Southwire property on Barnett Shoals Road.

The council took the action following a presentation by developer Duke Gibbs and planner Bob Smith for what they are calling Wire Park.

The project includes single-family detached housing units on both large and small lots, townhomes and condominium flats, and an adaptive reuse of the existing wire manufacturing building on the site.

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In the Loop: Hospital and Medical Office on Prince Will Be Renovated

By Blake Aued | January 14, 2020 12:45pm

Piedmont Athens Regional and the medical office across the street will both look different soon.

Owner Richard L. Thompson of Atlanta-based StructSured is renovating the medical office at 1270 Prince Ave. The building will receive a new white facade that will blend in with the medical office under construction where the landmark bar Allen’s used to be, as well as interior improvements, Thompson said. “Hopefully it will enhance the area, make it more attractive to the eye,” he told Flagpole.

The building currently houses Piedmont QuickCare, Athens Women’s Clinic and several other practices. They are all staying, and an additional 1,900 square-foot suite will be available for lease once renovations are complete, according to Thompson.

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Grub Notes: Rashe's Cuisine Is Opening on Vine Street

By Hillary Brown | January 9, 2020 9:37am

Rashe Malcolm.

Hey, it's the first good news of 2020! Rashe Malcolm of Rashe's Cuisine is about to have a physical location once again. Malcolm has leased the space on Vine Street next to Broderick Flanigan's studio that was most recently Bajan Delight, and hopes to be open by February.

Malcolm owned a brick-and-mortar restaurant off Tallassee Road once upon a time, then went to catering only, then started building toward a shared commercial kitchen for small businesses (still in progress) and started a downtown market to let those vendors sell their wares.

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Culture Briefs: Avid Bookshop Is Closing Its Prince Location

By Blake Aued | December 6, 2019 3:11pm

Photo Credit: Blake Aued/file

Avid Bookshop owner Janet Geddis at the Prince Avenue location in 2014.

Sad news for Cobbham residents: Avid Bookshop is closing its Prince Avenue location at the end of the year, owner Janet Geddis announced in her monthly newsletter to customers.

Geddis reassured readers that Avid is not in danger of going out of business, and the newer Five Points location will remain open. But sales declining and a recession looming, she wrote that she made the difficult decision to downsize out of an abundance of caution.

She chose to keep the Five Points store over Prince because it's larger, with an office and storage in back, and because of challenges negotiating a long-term lease for the Prince space.

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Grub Notes: The Café on Lumpkin Is Coming to Five Points

By Hillary Brown | November 12, 2019 2:07pm

Photo Credit: Café on Lumpkin via Facebook

It's been almost four years since the long-running Lumpkin Street Café closed, but something is finally brewing in the old house between Fleet Feet and the credit union. Luke Martineac, a young entrepreneur and business-type dude, found himself here in Athens while his wife pursues a doctorate in marine studies, wanted something to do and felt there was a need for a breakfast-and-lunch hangout in Five Points. Working with his brother, Peter, he's getting ready to open the Café on Lumpkin, aiming for late February.

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In the Loop: Flagpole Ends Delivery to 'Space Kroger' on Hwy. 29

By Jessica Smith | November 5, 2019 2:44pm

Beginning with this week's issue, Flagpole will no longer deliver to the Kroger Marketplace located at 700 U.S. Hwy. 29—known locally as "Space Kroger"—a change that will affect over 800 readers who pick up the paper there every week.

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In the Loop: CVB: Visitors Spent $330M in Athens Last Year

By Blake Aued | October 29, 2019 4:49pm

Visitors spent $330 million in Athens last year, up 6.6%, accounting for nearly 3,000 jobs and over $22 million in tax revenue, saving the average local taxpayer $488, the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau announced at a hospitality industry awards banquet Oct. 27 at the Classic Center.

The CVB’s Partner of the Year was Russell Stalvey, brewery events business manager at Terrapin Beer Co. The Classic Host Award went to Jean Lord, event manager at UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, who has brought numerous conventions to Athens. Piedmont College President James Mellichamp won the Louis Griffith Hospitality Leadership Award. The CVB also honored Valencia Landry, a server at Hotel Indigo, as the city’s front-line hospitality employee of the year.

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In the Loop: VIDEO: Athens AT&T Workers Go on Strike

By Chris Dowd | August 27, 2019 10:18am

Photo Credit: Chris Dowd

AT&T employees formed a picket line on Prince Avenue Monday.

Despite posting a $19.4 billion profit in 2018, AT&T is refusing to bargain with members of Communications Workers of America. The contract of AT&T technical and call center employees has expired, and now they’re on strike, asking to keep their current pay and benefits.

More than 20,000 AT&T workers have gone on strike across the Southeast over unfair labor practices and bad faith in contract negotiations. The strike started on Saturday and includes technicians and call center employees.

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