______________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 16, 2024

CONTACT: 

Office of Communications

opc@savannahga.gov

 Community-Wide Engagement Sessions to be Held Regarding Future of the Civic Center Site 

SAVANNAH – The City of Savannah will hold a series of Community-wide Engagement Sessions regarding the future use of the Savannah Civic Center site. 

These sessions will include a review of the project background; provide updates on technical analysis, cultural landscape analysis, survey, and archaeology assessment; an opportunity for community feedback on questions focusing on the facility, community, and the future of the site with consideration to arts, land uses, community, and public space.

The following public engagement sessions will take place over the next few weeks:

• Stakeholder Meetings – Thursday, April 25: A series of 1-hour sessions will be held with representatives from the business community, Metropolitan Planning Commission, Neighborhood Associations, Arts community, and other community stakeholders.
• Community-wide Open House – Tuesday, May 7, from 6 to 8 p.m., Civic Center Ballroom: A community-wide open house will be held for anyone who would like to learn more about the project and offer input. A second open house will be announced in the near future, to be held on the southside. 
• Virtual Community Meeting –Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. (Tentative): This meeting will follow the format of the in-person open house. Information on how to participate in the virtual session will be shared on May 4. 

# # #

Background

• In 1972, the City of Savannah completed construction of the Savannah Civic Center on the site of the former Municipal Auditorium. The seven-acre site includes the 9,700-seat Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena, 2,500-seat Johnny Mercer Theatre, Community Ballroom, several multi-purpose rooms, two levels of lobby space, and a 225-space surface parking lot. 
• The Civic Center stands as the largest single parcel in the Savannah National Historic Landmark District (SNHLD). Its construction preceded the enactment of the Historic District Ordinance, and the development was classified as an Urban Renewal project. This designation led to recombination of the Oglethorpe Plan, including the claiming portions of the Elbert and Jackson wards, the diminishment of Elbert Square's size and prominence, the alteration of the street pattern, and a decrease in connectivity to neighborhoods to the west. 
• Recognizing the significance of the National Historic Landmark District, the City has endeavored to restore the lost elements of the Oglethorpe Plan at this location. This goal emerged in the late 1990s, when the City explored the possibility of demolishing the arena, constructing a garage on its site, and relocating the arena while preserving the Theatre, Ballrooms, and multi-purpose rooms. 
• A 2001 Civic Center Arena analysis ranked the existing Civic Center site as the least favorable of eight potential sites for a new arena due to limitations stemming from traffic congestion, the size of the parcel for future development, and inadequate parking facilities.
• In 2013, the Mayor and Aldermen endorsed the Springfield Canal City Lot site as the location for a new arena.
• In 2014, the City established six advisory subcommittees comprising of local community members and City staff to provide input during the initial phase of the new arena project. 
• In 2016, the Arena Advisory Committee for Utilization of the Current Civic Center recommended retaining the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Ballroom, and multi-purpose rooms, preserving the arena for locally sponsored events, and restoring the two tything blocks to the south and the two trust lots to the east of the site. 
• Concurrently, the Proposed Arena Feasibility Study, commissioned by the Mayor and Aldermen, advised against preserving the arena due to the substantial costs associated with renovations and repairs necessary to bring the building into compliance with development standards, including life safety, and ADA compliance; and restoration of portions of the Oglethorpe Plan. 
• In 2019, the City requested the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Technical Assistance Panel to consider the highest and best uses for the Civic Center site. The Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved the ULI report which strongly recommended that the entire Civic Center complex be removed in preparation for the restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan.
• In February 2022, the Enmarket Arena, located at 620 Stiles Avenue, opened west of downtown. 
• In April 2022, City Manager Joseph A. “Jay” Melder presented the Mayor and Aldermen a conceptual plan for the demolition of the old arena, while aiming to preserve and enhance the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Community Ballroom, and multi-purpose rooms; construction of a new entrance to the Theatre along the building’s renovated south façade; development of a new municipal office building on the north side of the Theatre to reduce the City’s need for leased office space; and restoration of a larger section of the Oglethorpe Plan, including two trust lots and four tything lots lost during the development of the Civic Center.
• Following this presentation, City Council directed the City Manager to undertake a comprehensive review of the options for the Civic Center site and bring back recommendations for City Council’s consideration.
• Since 2022, the City has been actively working on the project by conducting an acoustics assessment of the Johnny Mercer Theatre as well as an historic Cultural Landscape Analysis of the site.  The City is also conducting a comprehensive site survey and a phase I Archaeology Assessment.  These items will help to inform the public engagement process.