Two architectural firms presented separate pitches Monday to the Athens City Council in hopes of being selected to redesign the former Pilgrim’s Pride property on Pryor Street.

Representatives from Nashville-based Farmer-Morgan and Goodwyn Mills Cawood, which has offices in Birmingham and Huntsville, presented their vision for the 32-acre property, which is still being cleared by a demolition team. Representatives from the firms told the council they can envision the renovated site as being vital to the community.

Both firms said they would use a “charette” approach to the project. Charette is an old French term for a “little cart” that collected students’ work at the school of art and design.

“A team of folks would come to Athens to work for a week, and you get to feed into it in real time,” said Benjamin B. Farmer with Farmer-Morgan. “Charette is an intentional act of community building and a collective vision to benefit the community as as whole.”

Farmer told the council Athens should embrace its “visionary outlook it’s always had” and cited railroads and nuclear power as two examples. He added the design for the property would be “market-driven” and cited Athens’ current growth rate as 15 percent.

The representatives from Goodwyn Mills and Cawood presented several renderings of previous and current projects, including parks and recreational trails in downtown Birmingham. Landscape architect Jane Ross of GMC told the council her firm’s designs have led to an additional $50 million in development generated in Birmingham.

“We would really like to work with you on your park,” she said, adding her team would examine how the park could be connected to the whole community.

Like Farmer-Morgan, Ross said her team would want to meet with stakeholders and encourage buy-in from the community and get a consensus on what the park should be.

GMC presented the council with a rendering of its vision for the Pilgrim’s Pride property, which includes the existing stream and an outdoor amphitheater. Councilman Harold Wales asked how the plans would be changed if a residential developer decided to build apartments or town homes adjacent to the park. Cole Williams, a civil engineer with GMC, told Wales the plans could be easily modified to fit residential needs.

Ross pointed out her firm has worked with the city of Athens on other projects, including the new Athens High School and Wellness Center on U.S. 31.

Mayor Ronnie Marks said it would not be necessary to bid the landscape design contract and the council would ultimately decide on the firm.

Funding source

Funding for the Pilgrim’s Pride project would come from the city’s first TIF, or tax increment financing district. The council approved the TIF last January, and it would be used to make $2.7 million in infrastructure improvements on the north side of town.

TIFs give municipalities the ability to issue bonds to fund a number of infrastructure improvements. Those bonds are repaid through property tax revenue collected off increased property values.

The TIF included the $550,000 purchase of the Pilgrim’s Pride property and about $600,000 for debris removal and asbestos remediation.

An estimated $1.5 million of the $2.7-million TIF will be spent on development improvements, including green space and recreational areas. Those improvements may also include streets, sidewalks, parking areas and improvements to lighting, utilities, drainage and landscape.

An additional $250,000 from the TIF will be used to make improvements to Pryor Street. Specifically, those include the widening of Pryor at the intersection of U.S. 31 and west of U.S. 31. There are also plans to extend the turn lane to U.S. 31 and also improve access to Golden Eagle Drive, which runs behind the Athens City Schools central office and the new Athens High School.