Government agencies, nonprofits and individual citizens have submitted 88 (!) requests for funding from the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The projects add up to about $1.2 billion. Problem is, the tax will raise less than a quarter of that amount over 10 years.
A citizens advisory committee is listening to presentations on each project and will make a preliminary recommendation to the ACC Mayor and Commission in April, with the commission expected to make a final decision on the project list in August. The list—and renewing the tax—will go before voters in November. (The projects listed below are not numbered by priority.)
In the meantime, Flagpole can’t possibly write in-depth about each project, so we’d like to hear from readers about which ones deserve more coverage. Email news@flagpole.com or comment on this article to let us know.
(Editor’s note: After this article was published, Athens-Clarke County released more detailed information on each project. Project descriptions are available here.)
1. Airport Capital Improvement Plan
Proposed by: ACC Airport
Cost: $5,257,000
2. Animal Shelter Renovations
Proposed by: ACC Central Services Department
Cost: $559,000
3. Facilities Life Cycle Equipment/Systems Replacement Program
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $10,506,000
4. Gateway and Corridor Visual Enhancements
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $2,920,000
5. New Judicial Center—Building Construction
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $70,585,000
6. New Judicial Center—Optional Parking Deck
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $11,360,000
7. New Judicial Center—Renovate Old Courthouse for Municipal Functions
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $9,388,000
8. New Municipal Building—Building Construction
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $45,625,000
9. New Municipal Building—Old Courthouse Security Improvements
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $5,996,000
10. New Municipal Building—Optional Parking Deck
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $9,293,000
11. Public Safety Vehicles Replacement Program
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $18,726,000
12. New Corrections Facility
Proposed by: ACC Corrections Department
Cost: $16,408,000
13. Areawide Stormwater Improvement Program
Proposed by: ACC Transportation and Public Works Department
Cost: $18,727,000
14. Bicycle Improvements Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $13,522,000
15. Bridge Improvement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $1,564,000
16. Fire Station Signal Preemption
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $1,147,000
17. Intersection Improvement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $14,564,000
18. Live Stream Pipe Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $22,259,000
19. Local, State, Federal Matching Project
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $5,202,000
20. North Avenue Bridge Replacement and Intersection Project
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $11,325,000
21. Pavement Rehabilitation
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $17,445,000
22. Pedestrian Improvements Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $11,443,000
23. Regional Stormwater Facilities
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $9,821,000
24. Sign Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $6,469,000
25. Smart City Transportation Project
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $5,203,000
26. Traffic Calming Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $4,163,000
27. Traffic Signal Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $17,574,000
28. Vision Zero Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $6,242,000
29. Industrial and Commercial Product Development
Proposed by: ACC Economic Development Department
Cost: $46,930,000
30. Innovation Infrastructure
Proposed by: Economic Development
Cost: $36,018,000
31. Emergency Operations Center
Proposed by: ACC Fire Department
Cost: $1,421,000
32. Fire Department Equipment
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $4,830,000
33. Fire Department Training Center Improvements
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $4,085,000
34. Hazard Mitigation Strategies
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $5,404,000
35. Headquarters, Fire Station 1, Apparatus Maintenance Shop
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $14,679,000
36. Replacement of Fire Station 5
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $6,444,000
37. High Speed Wireless Broadband
Proposed by: ACC Information Technology Department
Cost: $6,800,000
38. Bishop Park Renovations: Phase 1
Proposed by: ACC Leisure Services Department
Cost: $17,613,000
39. Memorial Park Renovations: Phase 1
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $7,884,000
40. Parks Facilities Improvements
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $24,944,000
41. Sandy Creek Park Renovations: Phase II
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $6,703,000
42. The Cook’s Trail Bridge and Boardwalk Replacement Project
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $7,587,000
43. E911 Phone System Replacement
Proposed by: ACC Police Department
Cost: $767,000
44. Police Vehicles
Proposed by: Police Department
Cost: $2,191,000
45. Public Safety Training Center
Proposed by: Police Department
Cost: $14,753,000
46. Water Reuse Program
Proposed by: ACC Public Utilities Department
Cost: $5,039,000
47. Water Transmission Grid Improvement
Proposed by: Public Utilities
Cost: $10,537,000

48. ACC Recycling Creative Reuse Space and Facility Relocation
Proposed by: ACC Solid Waste Department
Cost: $1,104,000
49. New Recovered Material Processing Facility
Proposed by: Solid Waste
Cost: $16,181,000
50. Environmental Mitigation and Restoration Program
Proposed by: ACC Sustainability Office
Cost: $7,188,000
51. Renewable Energy Program
Proposed by: Sustainability Office
Cost: $3,535,000
52. Sustainability Investment Program
Proposed by: Sustainability Office
$4,620,000
53. Transit Bus Stop and Transfer Facilities Improvement Program
Proposed by: Athens Transit
Cost: $5,749,000
54. Transit Vehicle Replacements & Expansion Vehicle Program
Proposed by: Athens Transit
Cost: $17,168,000
55. ABHS Path to Recovery Residential Program
Proposed by: Advantage Behavioral Health Systems
Cost: $11,422,000
56. Athens Welcome Center Access Improvements
Proposed by: Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation
Cost: $1,089,000
57. Athens West Park
Proposed by: Athens West Business Association
Cost: $44,283,000
58. Athens-Clarke County Affordable Housing
Proposed by: Georgia Initiative for Community Housing—Athens Team
Cost: $44,485,000
59. Athens-Clarke County Public Libraries
Proposed by: Athens-Clarke County Libraries Board of Trustees
Cost: $14,449,000
60. Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail Renovation
Proposed by: Friends of Bear Hollow
Cost: $13,614,000
61. Beech Haven Park
Proposed by: ACHF
Cost: $13,684,000
62. CCSD High School Athletic Field Upgrades
Proposed by: Clarke County School District
Cost: $4,388,000
63. Downtown Improvement Program
Proposed by: Athens Downtown Development Authority
Cost: $18,543,000
64. Dudley Park Master Plan Improvements for Completion
Proposed by: Friends of Dudley Park
Cost: $5,164,000
65. Firefly Trail Extension and Completion
Proposed by: Firefly Trail, Inc. and ACC Rails-to-Trails Committee
Cost: $22,025,000
66. Five Points Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Proposed by: Friends of Five Points Neighborhood Organization
Cost: $1,862,000
67. Gaines Youth Development Complex
Proposed by: CCSD/Boys and Girls Club of Athens
Cost: $15,452,000
68. Greenspace Acquisition Program
Proposed by: Athens Land Trust
Cost: $7,994,000
69. Holland Youth Sports Park Usability and Safety Improvements
Proposed by: Holland Park Youth Sports Coalition
Cost: $16,514,000
70. Jackson Street Art Walk
Proposed by: Athens Cultural Affairs Commission
Cost: $5,239,000
71. Little Athens Children’s Museum Build-out
Proposed by: Little Athens, Inc.
Cost: $9,450,000
72. Mobile Research Laboratory
Proposed by: Athens Nurses’ Clinic
Cost: $469,000
73. New Facility for Athens Creative Theatre
Proposed by: Friends of Athens Creative Theatre
Cost: $12,555,000
74. Oconee Rivers Greenway Project
Proposed by: Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission
Cost: $28,714,000
75. Quality Child-care Center Partnership Program
Proposed by: Athens for Everyone
Cost: $7,003,000
76. Rail-Trail Expansion Project
Proposed by: Rails to Trails Committee
Cost: $17,203,000
77. Sandy Creek Nature Center Exhibit Modernization
Proposed by: Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc.
Cost: $308,000
78. Southeast Clarke Park Enhancements
Proposed by: Citizens for the Improvement of Southeast Clarke Park
Cost: $16,647,000
79. Tallassee Forest Park
Proposed by: Oconee River Land Trust
Cost: $3,822,000
80. Tallassee Road Connector Shared Use-Path
Proposed by: BikeAthens
Cost: $9,465,000
81. The Classic Center Arena
Proposed by: The Classic Center Authority
Cost: $88,879,000
82. Trail Creek Park: Phase III Implementation
Proposed by: SORBA—Athens
Cost: $4,440,000
83. Vincent Drive Sidewalk
Proposed by: BikeAthens
Cost: $1,877,000
84. Energy Sustainability Program
Proposed by: Unnamed ACC resident
Cost: $18,309,000
85. Bicycle and pedestrian safety on Agriculture and Brooks Drive
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $2,595,000
86. Flint, MI Avoidance Project for ACC
Proposed by: ACCresident
Cost: $96,066,000
87. Glass Tower at MLK and North Avenue
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $860,000
88. Upper Oconee Water Trails
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $2,593,000
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