Buena Vista: Last week's City Dope mischaracterized Amy Bramblett's position on the Buena Vista Heights historic district; she is, in fact, moving from Carr's Hill to Buena Vista due to quality-of-life concerns about infill development there, but Bramblett is opposed to the historic district. My apologies.

Moving on, Mayor Nancy Denson says she is pulling the district off the Nov. 7 agenda. The commission will vote on it in February after considering other options, such as an overlay zoning district that would limit the size and scale of new houses. "The sense I got from the meeting is that (commissioners aren't) comfortable going forward with a historic district at this time, and it's a very divided community," she says.

While historic district supporters are holding out for the district, out-of-scale infill housing has been an issue in several neighborhoods over the years, so it's a good idea to find an alternative way to regulate them. In the meantime, for structures over 50 years old, commissioners can delay demolition permits for 90 days.

Downtown Boomtown: Yet another new development is coming to downtown. Chicago-based developer GEM Realty Capitol is planning three or four mixed-use buildings on the block between Broad, Clayton, Lumpkin and Hull streets, replacing two additions to SunTrust Bank and a surface parking lot. Don't worry, the Globe, Georgia Bar, Little Italy and all the other storefronts along Lumpkin and Clayton streets will still be there. So will the yellow "telephone building" on the corner of Hull and Clayton.

A rendering of a planned development at the SunTrust parking lot downtown.

The five- or six-story development will meet all the local design guidelines and only needs a certificate of appropriateness to move forward because a small portion of the property is in the downtown historic district, according to David S. Dwyer, managing director of Atlas Realty Advisors, GEM's local partner. It will include 50,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and apartments (aimed at professionals, not students) with up to 292 bedrooms. Parking will be underground and in the deck across the street. "It's an opportunity to have a true urban living experience that we don't think is available for anyone [in Athens] right now," Dwyer says.

Combined with other residential developments planned or under construction on Thomas, West Broad and Oconee streets, there may finally be enough people living downtown to support a grocery store. "While we can't promise a grocery store... that's certainly what we'd love to have," Dwyer says.

Speaking of downtown, Flicker is hosting a Townie Hall Meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, to get artists and musicians involved in the downtown master plan.

2000 in Reverse: Because Mitt Romney's support in red states is higher than President Obama's in blue states, Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Mike Berlon believes Obama may lose the popular vote but win the Electoral College, as President George W. Bush did (or at least, the Supreme Court said he did). "There's a reasonable chance we could see the Bush-Gore finish, but this time in favor of the Democrats," Berlon says.

If that's the case, Michael Wegner, your dream could come true! Wegner penned a column for last week's Flagpole arguing that the Electoral College disenfranchises voters who don't live in swing states. If Obama wins re-election while losing the popular vote, Berlon says he expects "a big push" to get rid of the Electoral College.

He also passed along an alarming rumor: Democratic voters are being told that if they vote for Obama, they will automatically cast a straight party-line ballot. That's not the case; you have to vote on each race individually. "People need to know you have to finish the drill," Berlon says.

Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 2, so get your butt over to the Board of Elections, City Hall or the Classic Center. Election Supervisor Gail Schrader says it's B-U-S-Y. They've been averaging 800 voters a day.

While you're there, keep in mind that Charles Darwin's facetious campaign against Bible-thumping U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Pit of Hell) is gaining momentum. Local activist Tim Denson, who is dressing as the discoverer of evolution for Halloween, believes Darwin could get 5,000 votes, despite being a British citizen and, well, long deceased. "I'm dead, but Paul Broun's brain-dead, so it evens out," Denson says. "I don't have a pulse. He doesn't have a brain."

On Election Night, Nov. 6, Clarke County Democrats will be busting out the bubbly or drowning their sorrows on the Georgia Theatre roof. No word yet on where local Republicans will be kicking it.

ARE YOU READY?: Hell, yeah! Damn right! My alma mater, the Ole Miss Rebels, um, I mean Black Bears, is coming to town on Saturday to put down the Bulldogs. Follow me on Twitter (@BlakeAued) as I unleash a torrent of smack talk on Gabe Vodicka (@FlagpoleMusic), a graduate of a certain, less prestigious institution located here in Athens.