The Saye Building has gone to the afterlife. Athens First United Methodist Church started demolition on the historic structure at the corner of Lumpkin Street and Hancock Avenue last week.
The teardown marks the end of a saga that started back in 2018, when the church applied for a permit to level the 100-year-old building. Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link put a hold on the wrecking ball, then initiated the process of creating what became the West Downtown Historic District.
Five years later, after exhausting its appeals with the county, First Methodist sued. Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott ordered the two parties into mediation, which resulted in the county commission caving to the church’s demands, removing the building from the historic district and issuing the demolition permit over the objections of the Historic Preservation Commission, the Planning Commission and many residents. An investment group fronted by former commissioner Russell Edwards offered to buy the building for $3 million to renovate it, but the church turned them down. Now, it will become a parking lot until the church eventually finds some other use for the land.
Preservation group Historic Athens, which fought the demolition, issued a statement Wednesday from executive director Tommy Valentine:
On Thursday, as rain fell across downtown, members of our team visited the Saye Building site as demolition began. A building with formal historic designation, a viable preservation plan, and strong community support is now being taken apart, one section at a time.
Since then, we’ve seen an outpouring of public response across conversations, social media, and community spaces. It’s clear we are not alone in carrying the weight of what this moment represents.
This is not just the removal of a structure. It’s the loss of a clear, achievable opportunity. The Saye Building could have been repurposed in a way that benefited the neighborhood and broader downtown. Instead, a valuable resource is being erased.
A $10 million preservation and redevelopment plan was ready. Both the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission recommended saving the building. Over 900 people signed the petition. Dozens spoke in opposition. No one spoke in favor. Still, demolition proceeded.
We know not everyone supports historic preservation in every case. But with construction and demolition making up more than one-third of all new U.S. landfill waste each year, reusing buildings and materials should be a widely shared community value.
We believe in thoughtful, resourceful, and community-centered development. What happened here was none of those things.
As demolition continues, so does the disappearance of a place that could have served Athens in lasting and visible ways. Salvageable materials are being discarded. Architectural history is being lost. A vision that once held promise now exists only in memory.
Even so, we remain committed. We believe Athens can grow in ways that reflect its identity, support its residents, and preserve the stories embedded in its landscape.
This loss was avoidable. The next one can be too. But only if we keep showing up.
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