As dust settles on Saye, local government reforms demolition review of historic buildings

WUGA | By Lara Dua-Swartz

Published August 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT

The Saye Building was demolished beginning in July.

Beginning in July, a familiar structure in downtown Athens was torn down. The demolition of the Saye Building marks the end of a years-long battle between commissioners, residents, and the building’s owner over its fate. WUGA’s Lara Dua-Swartz brings us this story from the corner of Lumpkin and Hancock.

A longer version of this story is the Epilogue to our 4-part podcast on The Saye, Down In it. You can listen to it here, as well as view a photo gallery documenting the demolition of the Saye Building.

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Lara Dua-Swartz

A native New Yorker, Lara is new to Athens, having just moved to this delightfully quirky town in 2021. She’s been working in broadcasting for the last 25 years in markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Atlanta. When she’s not at WUGA, you can find Lara covered in cats, playing D&D, or skating (as a rookie) with Classic City Roller Derby.

See stories by Lara Dua-Swartz