BellaVino Torn Down

Anyone driving west on Stimson Ave. will notice something new, or rather, something missing. The historical building that housed the specialty wine and beer company BellaVino has been torn down, amid much controversy.On Friday, Jan. 4, demolition began on the more than 110-year-old building. The demolition, meant to create a space for a new housing complex with parking besides, was planned well in advance and opposed by many. Ric Wasserman purchased the company from BellaVino owner Lili Chandler Glover in February and faced opposition from the Athens Historical Society and citizens within the community.In an open letter to Glover, Wasserman, the Athens Planning Commission, the Athens Board of Zoning Appeals and the community in general, Ron Luce, executive director of the Athens County Historical Society and Museum, implored that those concerned make every effort to avert the destruction of the building.“Every time we tear down an old structure anywhere in this county, we lose a bit of what we once were and an opportunity to achieve a greater future,” Wasserman said. “Every time we tear down a solid old structure and put up a modern apartment complex, we change our identity from a quaint, potentially powerful tourist attraction to a boring maze of boxes stuffed with students.”His solution would be to still create student housing, just not where historical buildings or sites once stood. There are homes, he claims, whose removal would benefit the city.The sale and demolition of the BellaVino still went through, despite Luce’s urgent pleas. Glover responded to several emails, letters and phone calls that urged her to refuse the sale of the building and the business with a letter of her own. She listed reasons explaining her need to sell the business, citing difficulty with staying in the store physically, along with interest for a specialty alcohol store.“...[A]lcohol RETAIL, which is VERY different from selling alcohol at a bar or restaurant...,” Luce wrote.With all the time that she invested in gaining experience, she could not stand to see a house with historical value go under, but raising a family interceded with the business.“I took over what was then ‘Happy Cat II’ in 2006 desperately scraping together enough money to purchase the then pathetic and faltering business and property in order to "rescue" said building from, get this, being razed into a parking lot for an upcoming nearby development,” Luce said. “My family has always had an interest in local historic preservation.”After a long process of waiting to sell the business and the former brick factory, Glover was approached by Wasserman, who offered a “way to cut [her] losses and to get out while I still can with a shirt on [her] back.”The sale was finalized in early 2012, and plans were set forth for the new apartment complex. Luce is still disappointed the building was torn down, but he can appreciate the work that Wasserman did in the legal aspect. The planned apartments have already been leased and are expected to be completed before August for the coming 2013-2014 school year.