MAYOR GIRTZ ENDORSES AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION PLANS

   Mayor Kelly Girtz defended his plans for redevelopment and affordable housing after the pandemic slowed progress during his first term at a news conference for UGA journalism students Friday. 

   He also explained the seemingly slow progress of downtown construction and the Rainbow Crosswalk, which faced similar COVID-related delays.

   “In the pandemic era, everything has been slower than I would have preferred,” Athens-Clarke County Mayor Girtz said about his affordable housing plan. “We have made enormous strides on each of those elements.”

   He has pushed for the redevelopment of vacant plots that have usable infrastructure like power and water lines. One example is the new private ownership of the Georgia Square Mall site, which plans to invest over $425 million for redevelopment, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. This will include sections of permanently affordable housing and mixed-income apartments.

   Girtz also said he was “deeply proud” of the 2020 SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) package, which allocated $44.5 million to affordable housing, as shown on the ACC SPLOST Expenditure Summary.

   He promoted his creation of inclusionary zoning policies and Tax Allocation Districts, both of which were promises of his 2018 campaign, that make affordable housing possible. 

   Girtz also said to expect the long-awaited Rainbow Crosswalk in May. The symbol of support for the LGBT community has been requested by groups like Athens PRIDE since 2019 but has seen multiple delays, according to The Red & Black. 

   The construction on Clayton Street as a whole has had several setbacks, and the timeline is still subject to change, according to the Athens Banner-Herald. Despite that, Girtz said significant subsurface work is complete.

   This UGA news conference came in advance of the mayoral election on May 24, where Girtz will seek reelection. Running against him are Bennie Coleman III, Pearl Hall, Fred Moorman, Mykeisha Ross and Mara Zúñiga. 

   The ballot in May will also feature the odd-numbered district seats of the ACC Commission and the Clarke County Board of Education, as well as a referendum on the TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). The deadline to register for this election is April 25. For more information on the election, visit the ACC Elections Office.