West Union Street and South Richland Avenue will be rid of their cosmetic and structural faults this summer during the city’s multi-million dollar effort to restore the busy streets.
The projects both contain a myriad of steps that have needed negotiating on Athens City Council’s behalf since the beginning of the year, but as the project’s deadline for breaking ground approaches, city officials are pushing to make their last few negotiations count.
Athens City Council did just that at Monday night’s meeting, focusing heavily on its most expensive project, dubbed “Richland South” by the city. Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said four businesses on Richland Avenue still need to sign off with the city and approve of construction workers to access their property if needed. The city will pay the property owners ranging on how much they will need to use their property, Papai said, but the city will have little interference with business and none of the businesses will have to close.
“We have asked Speedway, Wendy’s, Chase and Carriage Hill corporate to deal with the necessary right of way that needs to occur during the construction process,” Papai said. “Every property owner on that strip has met with the engineering department, so they’re all very aware.”
The city has offered to pay Speedway about $2,000 for right of way acquisition of its property, about $4,000 for Chase, and about $350 to Wendy’s and Carriage Hill each.
None of the entities have agreed yet, Athens Law Director Pat Lang said.
“I’ve been working with Andy Stone and his staff, hopefully all four of these parcels that the city is moving on this evening will be able to come to agreement with the property owners for the purpose of restructuring Richland Avenue,” Lang said. “This is a matter of timeline.”
Lang added that the city has reached out to these corporations a number of times over the course of several months, and should it be necessary, the city will file for a court proceeding.
The overhaul will cost roughly $3 million and will completely revamp the internal sewer structures of the street, Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said. The street will also be completely repaved and the sidewalks will be reconstructed.
The project is set to end around November, Papai said.
Improvements to West Union Street will cost much less, Wiehl said, as the project is less comprehensive. However, Athens will still replace existing water lines on the street.
“It’ll be $973,000 and some change for West Union,” Wiehl said. “It’s a good sized project.”
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