2025 1 21 Regular Session Packet 1

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ATHENS CITY COUNCIL 
REGULAR SESSION 
Tu
esday, January 21, 2025 
Agenda Item  
XI b. Discussion of the Appraisal Results of a Downtown Building to be Used as a City Hall 
Ov
erview 
During the December 17, 2024 work session, the Council directed staff to obtain a commercial 
appraisal of a downtown building to be used as a city hall. That appraisal is attached. If the Council 
is interested in acquiring this building based on the appraisal, the next step would be to authorize 
the city manager and city attorney to negotiate with the property owner for the purchase. 
Su
mmary of the January 13, 2025 Work Session 
Following discussion, the consensus was to place this item on the January 21, 2025 agenda under 
New Business for further discussion. 
Acti
on to Consider 
Motion, second, and vote are needed to authorize the city manager and city attorney to begin 
negotiations with the property owner to purchase the building.  
If
 not approved, reconsider renovating the current city hall that is at capacity for employees and 
has aged beyond its mechanical life by hiring an architect to renovate/redesign the current facility 
to add capacity, replace HV AC units, comply with ADA requirements, keep all employees together 
on a main campus, and generally upgrade the building.  
To a
dd needed capacity, consider relocating the Parks & Recreation Department from City Hall to 
Regional Park either to one of the two houses on the property or the conference center.  
To a
dd even more needed capacity, consider constructing a new City Hall Annex at the top of the 
hill directly behind City Hall in the parking lot to house existing departments. If basic departments 
were relocated to the new Annex, continue with the construction of fire station #3 on Elizabeth 
Street. If the existing fire station in City Hall was relocated to the new Annex as a replacement fire 
station, delay fire station #3 for a few years. An architect with experience in both city hall design 
and fire station design could assist the city with making this decision that would solve the city hall 
dilemma and the fire station dilemma.  
Affe
cted Departments 
All 
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