Some institutions do more than serve a city. Over time, they become part of how a city remembers itself. Since The Red & Black first appeared in 1893, generations of UGA students have recorded the life of Athens in its pages. Its earliest issues captured traditions still celebrated today, including one of the first written accounts of the Chapel Bell ringing. In the decades since, it has found its voice, helping record and curate a vibrant music and arts scene, while breaking news for this now nationally recognized university. Now, The Red & Black finds a new chapter.
A New Chapter for The Red & Black and 540 Baxter Street
Founded in 1893, The Red & Black has documented generations of life at the University of Georgia and across Athens. Since becoming an independent nonprofit organization in 1980, it has also helped thousands of students find their voices as journalists, photographers, editors and storytellers.
For more than two decades, much of that work has taken place at 540 Baxter Street.
A Building Filled With Stories
Since 2002, the Baxter Street building has served as a newsroom, classroom and gathering place for generations of student journalists.
Inside these walls, students covered their first breaking stories, worked through late production nights, built lasting friendships and developed the confidence to pursue careers in journalism and beyond.
The building holds an important place in the history of The Red & Black. But the mission of the organization has never been tied to one address.
Turning a Building Into a Lasting Investment
The Red & Black recently made the significant decision to sell its Baxter Street property to Polias.
While the sale marks the end of one chapter, it creates an opportunity that is far more important than the building itself. The Red & Black can transform a physical asset into lasting financial support for independent student journalism.
The organization plans to establish an official Red & Black Endowment Fund designed to strengthen its financial foundation and support future generations of students. The investment will help preserve the independence of the newsroom while expanding opportunities for professional training, experiential education and public service.
It is a thoughtful way to carry the value of this property forward.
A New Newsroom at Bottleworks
Finding the right next home was an important part of the process.
Polias worked with The Red & Black to secure a new newsroom in the historic Bottleworks development near the West End of downtown Athens.
Bottleworks has long been one of the places we love in Athens. Its history, character and connection to the creative life of the city make it a natural setting for the next chapter of The Red & Black.
The new space will provide a flexible and collaborative newsroom where students can continue reporting, learning and creating without interruption. It will be a new address, but the mission will remain the same.
How the Pieces Came Together
Real estate often looks simple once the final pieces are in place. In reality, the right outcome depends on timing, trust and relationships.
The Red & Black needed a partner who understood both the value of its property and the importance of finding the right new home.
At the same time, James Bates Brannan Groover LLP was looking for a more permanent home for its growing Athens presence. The full-service business law firm with offices in Athens, Atlanta and Macon has served individuals, businesses and local governments across Georgia since 1999. It opened its Athens office in 2020, and what began as a foothold in the community has become a place where the firm has firmly planted its roots.
Polias was uniquely positioned to connect those needs. Our understanding of the organizations, the properties and the places involved allowed us to help create an outcome that made sense for everyone.
The Red & Black can turn its real estate into a lasting investment in its mission. James Bates Brannan Groover can establish a permanent home in Athens. An important Baxter Street property can continue serving the community.
This is the kind of placemaking we believe in. It is not simply about acquiring a building. It is about understanding how people, organizations and irreplaceable places can move forward together.
Honoring What Came Before
Although 540 Baxter Street will no longer serve as the newsroom, its connection to The Red & Black will remain.
The Red & Black name will stay on the building as a lasting acknowledgment of the generations of student journalists who learned, worked and found their voices there.
We believe places are stronger when their history is not erased, but carried forward with care. James Bates Brannan Groover shares that belief. The firm has said it is honored to begin this new chapter in The Red & Black building and to help preserve and steward its legacy for future generations. That was not a small factor in how this came together.
A historic name will remain. A respected organization will gain a lasting Athens home. The Red & Black will move forward with a stronger foundation for its future. And a meaningful Baxter Street property will begin its next chapter while continuing to honor the stories that shaped it.
Polias is grateful to have been trusted to help bring these pieces together and to steward this important Athens property into its next chapter.
