ATHENS, Ohio — The City of Athens will spend $700,000 to pave at least eight streets this year, with seven others awaiting review.
Athens City Council’s Transportation Committee discussed the cost and priorities for street paving at its meeting Monday night. Of the $700,000, $300,000 will come from the city’s Street Fund and $400,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
While some streets are definitely scheduled to be paved in whole or in part, others require “additional review” because they were not part of the original list, Mayor Steve Patterson said. An ordinance authorizing the paving project should be on the agenda for the May 5 council meeting.
Streets that definitely will be paved are Armory Street, Lloyd Street, Mill Street, Miller Street, Rardin Drive, Terrace Drive, and portions of Columbus Road and Shafer Street. Those on the possible paving list are Church Street, Della Drive, Mary Street, Montrose Avenue, Ondis Avenue, and portions of Longview Heights and Mulligan Road.
The city’s Engineering & Public Works Department prioritizes streets for paving based on their condition, he said. Transportation Committee Chair Solveig Spjeldnes, 1st Ward, said the city uses a “concrete formula” to determine which streets need paving most. The Independent has requested said formula.
“If anybody has a street they’re concerned about, do contact the city,” Spjeldnes said.
Patterson said that when he first took office in 2017, the city spent about $400,000 on street paving (equivalent to $521,865 in 2025 dollars). The city now spends $700,000 on paving because of need, he said.
Committee members were asked about Mulligan Road and its placement as a lower priority paving project, in addition to concerns about speeding on a street with a 25 mph limit.
Council member Jeff Risner, 2nd Ward, said he has asked the city to consider paving Mulligan Road from Canterbury Drive — its steepest portion — to Longview Heights.
“It’s at the bottom of the ‘Maybe we’ll get around to it part of this,’” Risner said of Mulligan Road. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”
Placing a 3-inch mill layer over Mulligan and then repaving it would consume most of the budget allotted for paving, Patterson said. The city can sometimes increase the number of streets that are paved if bids for the work come in under the engineer’s estimates, he said.
Risner asked if the city could team up with Ohio University on paving needs, as they have before. Patterson said the city and university worked together to pave South Green Drive and South Shafer Street, but the institutions did not collaborate last year and are not set to do so this year.
Armory revitalization project
The council also discussed an upcoming ordinance to transfer $500,000 from the special revenue fund to the Athens Community Improvement Corporation to pay Pepper Construction for remaining work on the Athens Armory.
Patterson said the city set aside $500,000 in 2023 from its $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The long-anticipated, nearly $5 million renovation of the former Armory at 2 W. Carpenter St. is expected to be completed in early August.
The Athens County Foundation will have its main office on the third floor of the three-story structure, a representative confirmed in an email. A co-working space also is part of the project. New features include solar power, a veterans hall of honor in the foyer (for which the state allocated $600,000 in 2023), a conference meeting space and portable kiosks.
Athens’ Ohio National Guard Armory (1 Armory St.) was constructed in 1915. The city acquired it in 1997. It is now owned by the Athens Community Improvement Corporation, according to the Athens County Auditor.
Free bus rides until next April
Local residents will be able to use Athens Public Transit and Athens on Demand for free, now through April 2026, Athens City Council learned at its committees meeting on Monday.
Hocking Athens Perry Community Action Mobility Management Coordinator Ben Ziff announced Athens Public Transit’s free fare initiative, made possible through sponsorship from AmeriHealth Caritas.
Free passes are available to all regardless of income, Ziff told the council. Riders can get passes on APT buses, at Athens County Public Libraries and from other locations. The program might extend into 2027 and expand into Hocking County, he added.
Athens City Council’s next regular meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 5, in Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also streamed online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays.
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