After a summer of construction across campus, uptown Athens and county roads, students returning this fall will find new restaurants, upgraded infrastructure and ongoing projects aimed at improving the community.
The Lostro Building at the corner of West Union Street and Court Street will soon be the site of a Raising Cane’s and Playa Bowls.
The restaurants will be on the first floor, while the upper levels will be home to 20 extended-stay hotel rooms complete with full kitchens, according to a previous report by The Post.
Construction on the building began during the 2024-25 school year and continued well into the summer.
With more than 28,000 Ohio University students and nearly 24,000 residents excluding on-campus students, summer offers a quieter season for large construction projects.
“Not all projects are based on a summer calendar, but slower times of the year are taken into account for higher impact initiatives,” Andrew Chiki, Athens deputy service-safety director, said in an email.
He said although road construction tends to get the most attention, many projects focus on less visible infrastructure, such as water, sewer and utility upgrades, which keep the city running.
Although many construction projects are occurring in the uptown area, there have also been projects in the works throughout Athens County.
The Ohio Department of Transportation reported five active projects in Athens County as of July 30.
These include a culvert replacement on state Route 144, expected to be completed August 29, and roundabout construction on state Route 682 at U.S. 33 scheduled for completion Oct. 31.
There are also major construction projects on OU’s campus, with the city and the university working in tandem.
Chiki said the city meets with the university’s facilities team every month to discuss such projects and ways to support each other.
“Special attention is also given to potential conflicts with construction timelines and how to best work with each other’s priorities,” Chiki said in an email. “For example, the university has been building new dorms on South Green. The university and city work together on water and sewer connections as well as how to best manage the construction traffic.”
The city currently has 29 projects either in progress, about to be bid or under design, with an additional 11 projects in the initial design phase, according to Chiki.
These projects cover a wide range of improvements aimed at enhancing Athens’ infrastructure, public spaces and city services, including Buildings Project #356 to modernize Athens City Hall for its 150th Anniversary.
The project includes renovations to conference room spaces, the repair and installation of the City Hall Bell and Clock, and the restoration of the building's storefront. A historic statue of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, will also be permanently installed in the front lobby.
However, not all improvements involve construction. The city website recently added an AI chatbot called Benny the Brick.
“This is an internal project to add AI functionality and a chatbot to the City website,” Chiki said in an email. “Additional cleanup to the website will occur to improve navigation and accessibility.”
Though construction may inconvenience some residents and visitors now, the city expects the completed projects to enhance Athens’ infrastructure and appearance for years to come.
