The Athens-Clarke County Commission is expected to vote on a list of proposed sites for the East Side Library at their meeting at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
The new library is scheduled to open in 2026, bringing a public gathering place to Athens’ East Side.
Recent community input on potential locations for the SPLOST project revealed the old Kmart building as the most desired spot.
The Site Selection Committee also proposed the Clarke County School District Early Learning Center building and an undeveloped property on Barnett Shoals.
Southeast Clarke Park was not originally considered due to its distance from East Side schools, but District 8 Commissioner Carol Myers, who serves as chair of the Site Selection Committee, says the area was added recently since the county already owns the property.
“We put this one back in, assuming that the Mayor and Commission agree with this, as sort of a backup location,” Myers said. “Because we know we have property there, we know we could put it there, but it doesn’t meet the walkability criteria.”
Commissioners can vote to remove any site from the list by proposing a Commission-Defined Option. Tomorrow’s vote will kick off a more detailed analysis of the approved sites, in which architects will consider the layout, traffic, and environmental impact among other factors for each location.
The Site Selection Committee will bring the matter back to the commission in early November to propose a singular preferred site along with its estimated cost.
