26 E Park Drive represents a new type of development for the City of Athens. The Medical Office Building is home to a private practice and surgery center. The building rises above the ground on a grid of pilotis with views to the surrounding hills and river. The city floodplain as well as on-going litigation with FEMA floodway re-mapping led the design team to consider elevating the structure on concrete piers. The soils under the structure are mostly silt and other debris that can’t bear the weight of even the one story structure without excessive excavation. Instead of replacing soils, the team designed the building atop a steel frame connected to concrete piers that then transfer the load to auger cast piles as deep as 45 feet below ground.
The developer, Hocking River Development, LLC, has worked with the City of Athens for over two years to finalize plans for the project. Overlooking the Hocking River and adjacent the under construction Athens City Pool, the location also offers easy access to the East State Street shopping thoroughfare. Marietta Memorial is the primary building tenant. BDT Architects & Designers also relocated their primary Athens office to the building.
