Canton Repository (3/20/26) The former Athens Restaurant property has a new owner.
The building sold at auction on March 20, ending an era for one of Canton’s longtime dining establishments.
The auction began at 12:30 p.m. at the former restaurant at 816 Harrison Ave. SW with a mix of in-person and online bidders.
The final bid topped out at $165,000 from Don Ackerman and Bill Lemmon, both representing Canton for All People. That makes the final sale price $181,000 with the 10% buyer’s premium.
The organization hopes to keep it as a restaurant and find an operator, Ackerman said.
“We specialize in putting community spaces back together or keeping them in place,” Ackerman said.
Canton for All People is finishing its conversion of the former Canton Inn into The Newton Family Apartments complex, a milestone in the city’s Shorb neighborhood revitalization efforts. The complex at 1016 Second St. NW features 52 units of affordable family housing.