The site of a former chicken plant in Athens could eventually be home to family parks, a variety of housing options and possibly retail stores. At least that’s the way Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks sees it.

“I’ve had quite a bit of contact with people who are asking, ‘We’re interested in that development’ and ‘Is it for sale?’” the mayor said Wednesday.

Selling off pieces of the city-owned property and finding the right developer may still be months away as crews continue to remove pieces of the former plant and haul it away. Marks said he felt like the cleanup was 40-50 percent complete.

“The contract is still on target,” he said. “We want (the property) down to where we can sow it and mow it.”

In January, the council approved a tax-increment financing district to make $2.7 million in infrastructure improvements to the north side of town, including the Pilgrim’s Pride property. Included in the TIF is the $550,000 purchase of the Pilgrim’s Pride property. The council has estimated costs related to the removal of existing structures to be about $499,000. The city will also pay an estimated $115,800 to remove asbestos from the site.

The City Council voted in March to sell $20 million in municipal warrants to cover the cost of the former Pilgrim’s Pride property and its cleanup and to build a new recreation center at a different site.

Marks said the next step for the project may be hiring a landscape architect who can create a design plan for the property. He may ask the council to consider it during budget hearings in August.

“We need to have some kind of concept of what’s in the floodway and what’s developable,” he said.