Despite backlash from some uptown business owners, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle approved a route that almost completely bypasses Court Street.
Despite resistance from some uptown business owners, the city is marching forward with plans for the Ohio University Homecoming Parade.
The route, submitted by OU’s Campus Involvement Center, will bypass Court Street almost entirely and will travel from Union Street to President Street before heading toward Baker Center.
Angie Waldren, executive assistant to Athens Police Department Chief Tom Pyle, said the permit was officially approved by the chief Wednesday night.
Members of the Athens Uptown Business Owners Association have said the route will discourage parade spectators from venturing farther Uptown and patronizing Athens businesses.
“The parade route’s not up to us,” Waldren said. “The person who fills out the parade permit application tells us what streets they want to use. We don’t decide the streets that they go down.”
The amount of time the parade has spent on Court Street has been diminishing for several years, initially due to inappropriate jeers from spectators at uptown bars, said Gene Armes, spokesman for the Athens Uptown Business Owners Association.
This year, the university chopped off another block from the route to avoid construction on West Union Street, which is still undergoing recovery from November’s fire.
Brian Heilmeier, assistant director of student activities at OU, said he has been working with the city to plan the parade route since earlier this summer.
“Most years that type of stuff regarding the route is already done,” he said. “We don’t revisit it every year. The initial talk was that we were going to use Union Street, but the city had some concerns.”
Heilmeier also said the route change won’t be permanent.
“I like the College Gate intersection. I like Court and Union,” he said. “All intentions are to go back to that route next year.”
Armes said the Athens Uptown Business Owners Association has proposed an alternative route that would bypass the uptown bars to be considered in future years.
That route would enter Court Street at the north end, then take a detour onto State Street, College Street and then back onto Court.
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“Court Street is so important and such a large part of everyone’s college experience that goes to OU,” Armes said last week. “Being an OU student and being on Court Street are one and the same. The alumni have a strong desire to be on Court Street.”
Armes could not be reached after the permit was approved.
Heilmeier said he does not believe there is any discussion of adopting that route.
“I think, from the university’s perspective, we’re happy with (the Union Street) route,” he said.
Heilmeier also said that this year’s route was not ideal, but that the university was making the best of it.
“I think that this year, we’re managing it,” he said. “Obviously with the Union Street fire we have to make some changes and it's not a great situation for anybody involved. … But I think we just have to get through this one year and we’ll be back to going up to the corner again.”
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