For Immediate Release
Date: June 19, 2013

City crews are currently retrofitting lights in Washington and Warren squares with new energy-efficient induction lamps. Crews will be there until about noon today.

The public should be aware that during the retrofit process, temporary fixtures will be in place on the light poles for the next few weeks. The permanent fixtures, when installed, will be more historically appropriate.

Washington and Warren squares – located long Bryan Street at Habersham and Houston -- are two of seven historic squares that will receive energy efficient and more natural lighting this year. The others are Orleans, Pulaski, Calhoun, Chatham and Troup squares, as well as the Gordon and Tomochichi monuments in Wright Square.

The lights will be retrofitted with Pennsylvania Globe induction lamps to be consistent with the recommendations of the comprehensive lighting plan for downtown parks and squares, which was developed in 2011. The lights will be the same as those in Wright, Whitefield and Lafayette squares, which were upgraded in 2012 with financial support from the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Upgraded fixtures in Warren and Washington Squares should be installed by the middle of July and those in Orleans, Pulaski and Calhoun squares by the middle of August.

Donations, neighborhood matching funds, and existing square renovation funds will be used to pay for the upgrades.

About the Project
A Park & Tree Commission subcommittee was formed in 2011 to develop a comprehensive lighting plan for downtown parks and squares. The subcommittee included representatives from the Park & Tree Commission, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Historic Savannah Foundation and the City of Savannah (Citizens Office, Traffic Engineering and Park & Tree). The subcommittee assessed the lighting conditions and infrastructure in the squares, Forsyth Park and Colonial Cemetery as improvements on River Street, Factors Walk, and parts of Bay Street had recently been upgraded. The subcommittee developed standards for fixtures and light sources as the City migrated to more energy efficient and affordable technology. As squares continue to be refurbished, and obsolete inefficient light fixtures are replaced, light fixtures, poles, panels and electrical infrastructure will continue to be upgraded. The technology of efficient light sources has been expanding rapidly, allowing urban designers to achieve the results they desire.