Athens City Council members are taking steps that will allow Cat's Den, 110 W. Union St., to expand its bar space, and possibly start brewing some of its own drinks.
The bar's owners plan to remove the house at at the corner of Union and Depot streets, expand the bar and restaurant's first floor and convert the three, one-bedroom apartments into a single four-bedroom apartment. But as it stands now, parts of the property are considered to be in a "residential zone," even though it is surrounded by businesses, limiting the types of renovations that can be made.
Council members began making plans to rezone that property last month.
“Personally, this makes sense. It’s better keeping parcels of property one zone,” Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said at the meeting last month. “It makes sense for the whole neighborhood to be B-1 as it is a commercial area.”
The bar's owners are hoping to expand the property and add a microbrewery in the future, according to a memorandum from the Athens City Planning Commission.
Without a zoning change, those renovations wouldn't be allowed. Rick Sirois, director of Code Enforcement and Community Development in Athens, suggested to council members that they change the entire street to a business district.
“It makes the most sense to make it a business district,” Council President Chris Knisely said.
Council members will make plans to close some uptown streets during the weekends of the International Street Fair and the Cruise-In.
This year the date of the International Street Fair does not coincide with Number Fest, as it did last year.
The street fair will be held April 15, and council is planning to close down President Street and portions of Court Street and Union Street.
