At Tuesday night’s regular session, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to remove the historic Saye Building from the West Downtown Historic District.
The 100-year-old Saye building at the corner of Lumpkin and Hancock has been targeted for demolition since 2018. Athens First United Methodist Church, who owns the Saye, has maintained that the building is not salvageable. The Church wants to demolish it in favor of 12 parking spaces. They say the parking lot is a temporary solution while they prayerfully consider their future plans for the property.
Demolition of the Saye was temporarily halted with the establishment of the West Downtown Historic District in 2020. However, as a result, the Church filed two lawsuits against the city. Last fall, the city signed a mediation agreement with the Church, allowing the demolition and parking lot plan…