Council approves $272,821 downtown TAD award to Hop Atomica; several routine votes pass

Statesboro City Council approved a development agreement to award $272,821 in Tax Allocation District (TAD) assistance to a downtown redevelopment project known as Hop Atomica and cleared several other routine agenda items at its meeting.

The TAD award, which council members approved by voice vote, will be used for private infrastructure and exterior improvements at 6 Walnut Street, in the South Main Street TAD. City staff summarized the project review process and committee recommendation; the council moved and seconded approval after an applicant presentation.

Smith Matthews, the applicant who said he and his brother are leading the project, described the scope and timeline. "This is our Savannah location," Matthews said. "The TAD support ... is going to enable us to establish what we feel will be a vibrant community oriented business, create a bunch of jobs, [and] contribute to downtown's economic growth." He told the council the requested funds would go toward exterior lighting, masonry repairs, a fence and handrail, a canopy, roof work, doors and windows, and sidewalk improvements. Matthews said the project has faced financing and environmental-testing delays and that construction is "about six months" with an August–September target if major hurdles do not appear.

City staff recommended the award. "We recommend approval," a city staff member said during the presentation, noting the project had been vetted by the committee and that the downtown TAD has built balances available for projects.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (minutes for Feb. 17, work session and executive session): approved by voice vote.
- Surplus of forfeited/evidence firearms: motion to declare surplus approved by voice vote.
- Blue Mile Catering LLC (434 S. Main St.) — low-volume alcohol license: public hearing opened and closed with no speakers; license approved by voice vote.
- Resolution 2026-O9 (GDOT recertification application/assurances): approved; staff said recertification is required for the city to administer locally managed GDOT projects.
- Development agreement with Walnut and Vine LLC / Hop Atomica: $272,821 TAD award approved by voice vote.
- Amendment 2 to EPD FY22 stream‑restoration grant (Little Lotts Creek): staff recommended extending the grant term (noted local match ~ $12,000 in cash/in‑kind); amendment approved by voice vote.
- Recommendation to reject bids for the Bouchon Park construction and pursue redesign (bids ~ $2M over budget): council approved rejecting bids and redesigning the project.
- Change order #3 (Southeast Pipe Survey Inc.) — $109,320 for lining/repair after a pipe collapse on East Main Street: approved by voice vote.
- Motion to enter executive session under OCGA 50‑14‑3(b) (real property/personal matter/potential litigation): motion approved.

What the TAD award covers and timeline

During the applicant’s presentation, Smith Matthews said the bulk of the requested TAD support will pay for exterior-facing improvements needed to convert a historic warehouse into a mixed-use distillery, brewery and restaurant. He described masonry repairs, roof replacement, new exterior lighting and pedestrian-facing upgrades as priorities and said he expects to complete construction in roughly six months unless new obstacles arise.

Other council actions and staff updates

Staff also told the council the city completed required purchasing and training steps tied to the Georgia Department of Transportation recertification and urged approval of the related resolution. Staff highlighted a roughly $12,000 local match (cash or in‑kind) for a Georgia Environmental Protection Division grant amendment for stream restoration and briefed the council on employee recognitions, an IT hardware incident response, Arbor Day activities and continued support for a multi‑phase low‑income housing project (Bryant Landing).

Quotes and attribution

"This opportunity would really help push us over the finish line," Smith Matthews said of the TAD assistance. A city staff member summarized staff’s recommendation to the council: "We recommend approval." Council discussion included a request from a member that staff return with a TAD program recap showing balances and access procedures at a future meeting.

Next steps and context

Council approval authorizes staff to finalize the development agreement and disburse the TAD award consistent with the agreement and applicable city procedures. The council also instructed staff to return with additional TAD program detail on request. The meeting moved to an executive session on personnel/real‑property matters under OCGA 50‑14‑3(b) at the end of the agenda.