Has the $25 million grant awarded to Athens been lost?
In Tuesday’s Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission meeting, the subject of the $25 million grant for the North Avenue Corridor was discussed. The federal grant was awarded to ACC in August of 2022 and it is meant to improve the North Avenue corridor.
The issue has been the time table. Almost a year after the grant was awarded, ACCGov staff ascertained that it was unlikely that the project would be able to meet the obligations of the grant by the due date, September 30th, 2026. This would mean the grant would be cancelled and any money already spent would need to be repaid.
For over two years, a project design team has worked with stakeholders and gathered input from the public to collect feedback on the project. Efforts have been made to extend the deadline, but the Office of the Secretary of Transportation remains unmoved.
However, ACCGov is in the process of trying to have the construction grant turned into a planning grant. This way, the money spent on research and development would not need to be paid back. If the reallocation is successful, ACCGov could apply for a build grant later on.
Commissioner Ovita Thornton recommended that if the grant can be reallocated then an advisory committee will work with consultants and staff on the planning and design of the project.
Thornton also had a few words for her constituents saying “I do want to thank the members of District 9… for hanging in here with this and I also want to thank the people who have been encouraging…”