On a sunny afternoon in Athens, students and residents gather at the College Square Plaza to eat lunch, work on their laptops or visit with friends. People fill the picnic tables that are scattered throughout the space.

The plaza is a central hub in downtown Athens. It has become a popular spot among locals since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the city transformed College Ave. into a pedestrian-only space. Now, planners have set the area for a redesign that will incorporate modern updates consistent with the appeal of the University of Georgia’s north campus.

The Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA) leads this $6 million to $7 million redevelopment, which is a part of the TSPLOST 2023 Project 28.

Proposed changes to transform the plaza into a pedestrian-friendly space include tree-lined walkways, curbless streets and enhanced seating options. The redevelopment draws inspiration from the design of UGA’s north campus and seeks to revitalize the heart of downtown. The project should be completed in fall 2026.

 Why It’s Newsworthy: The College Square Plaza aims to revitalize a central space in downtown Athens. The project will enhance pedestrian access, foster community engagement and support economic vitality.   

Pandemic Response

The project dates back to October 2020. At that time, officials temporarily closed College Ave. to vehicles as part of a six-month pandemic pilot program.

The Athens-Clarke County mayor and commission made the closure permanent in April 2021, following the pilot’s success. In August 2021, the ADDA submitted a proposal for the plaza’s redesign under the TSPLOST 2023 initiative. 

“College Square is the central plaza of downtown, or should be considered the central plaza,” said David Lynn, director of planning and outreach at the ADDA. “It was last renovated in 1981 and is badly in need of refurbishment.”

Lynn explained that the pandemic closure showed the potential for a pedestrian-only space.

“You go up there any day of the week, and it’s always a lot of people having lunch … using laptops,” he said. “The idea is to update the square … provide for curbless street design.”

The new design aims to capture the same feeling UGA’s north campus possesses.

“The best walk in town is walking through old north campus, and we hope to bring a little of that vibe to College Square,” Lynn said.

The plan includes tree-lined paths, new lighting and a fully accessible plaza.

Community Engagement

Lynn noted that although public engagement has been limited, the department wants to hear first from nearby businesses.

“We’ll seek out the input of affected stakeholders first, and those will be surrounding merchants … then we’ll get engagement from the public,” Lynn said.

Local businesses have raised concerns about delivery access during construction.

“We need to be cognizant of that,” Lynn said, adding that the ADDA is working on solutions to balance business needs with the pedestrian design.

Despite some challenges, Lynn said the overall response has been positive: “Everyone we show the rendering to likes the design and just wants us to move faster.”

Construction Impact

Workers should begin construction in the fall of 2025. Lynn is confident that lessons from the recent Clayton Street improvement project downtown will minimize disruptions.

“The designer has suggested we work on building the part of the plaza that’s fronting the businesses during the down economic periods of summer and Christmas,” Lynn explained. 

Lynn also says he expects fewer challenges because the street is already closed to vehicular traffic.

Downtown Development

The College Square redevelopment aligns with the broader Downtown Master Plan. This plan envisions a pedestrian corridor linking College Square to City Hall.

“The College Square project fits into the goals of enhancing pedestrian infrastructure for downtown Athens,” Lynn said.

Lynn also noted potential changes to East Broad Street. These include a large brick-textured area that would link the square to the UGA arch. While this was not a part of the initial project, it has received a lot of attention.

“We always felt Broad Street, since it’s a state highway, was somewhat of a hot stove, you didn’t touch that,” said Lynn. However, Lynn believes the project will incorporate some form of traffic calming and pedestrian safety.

Lynn is confident the project will revitalize downtown Athens.

“It’s a very classy, simple design with lots of trees that we hope to have impact on day one and kind of a link between UGA and downtown,” he said.

Ella Brauer is a fourth-year student majoring in journalism.