This is the City Talk column by Bill Dawers, a longtime contributor to the Savannah Morning News.
As Savannah’s leaders ponder the fate of the Civic Center, they should be thinking about the legacy that they want to leave.
And they should consider the ironies of the Civic Center plan that was developed behind the scenes for more than two years.
The presentation of that plan at the May 23 council workshop had the grandiose title “Savannah Civic Legacy.” The title slide featured the usual image depicting one of the city’s historic wards – a square at the center of a street network, trust lots and tithing lots. It’s an awkward graphic since the plan developed by Sottile and Sottile would not restore Elbert Square and several other blocks in the ward.
In public meetings, planner Christian Sottile said several times that the entire ward should eventually be reestablished, perhaps in 50 or 100 years. None of us will be around to know for sure, but I doubt that Savannahians at the turn of the next century will see any great legacy in an aging theater that has prevented a full restoration of the city plan for decades.
Those future Savannahians will likely be faced with the prospects of an expensive renovation or the construction of a new venue on increasingly valuable land elsewhere in the city.
More City Talk: Cost estimates show benefits of Civic Center demolition, new theater build
That’s a dubious legacy.
City leaders have a chance in the next few weeks to commit to the reestablishment of the urban fabric of Elbert Ward, but that is just one piece of a larger quilt. A combination of circumstances will present several opportunities in the coming years to reimagine the west side and make Savannah a more resilient city.
As previously reported in this newspaper, city officials have secured a key grant that could set the stage for the removal of the I-16 exit ramp, which splintered neighborhoods along MLK. Formerly West Broad Street, the boulevard played a vital role in Black civic life for decades.
The removal of the flyover won’t suddenly bring MLK back to its heyday, but the grant requires an equitable redevelopment plan, which will presumably include provisions for affordable housing and better connectivity between the MLK corridor and neighborhoods in greater west Savannah.
Over the next decade or so, city officials will also have chances to work with the Housing Authority of Savannah and other entities on the redevelopment of Yamacraw Village. The site could support even more affordable housing than it currently does, in addition to a variety of other housing types.
The city should push to reestablish several lost streets and create other paths so that the Yamacraw neighborhood will feel better connected to the rest of downtown.
The current administration should also get serious about a Canal District master plan.
Hotel-motel tax revenue will help with renovations of the historic Waterworks at the intersection of Stiles Avenue and West Gwinnett Street.
A 2022 study found that it would be feasible to repurpose the Water Works as a farmers’ market, food hall and business incubator, but city leaders have said little about the project.
For years, residents of greater west Savannah were told that the construction of the new arena would lead to other civic investment in the district, but the Water Works and other key components are beginning to feel like public policy afterthoughts.
Again, connectivity should be a priority. New paths between downtown and the Canal District would enhance economic activity and quality of life.
None of these projects are going to happen overnight, but the current city leadership is in a position to create the momentum that future administrations can build upon.
That would truly be a civic legacy.
Bill Dawers can be reached via @billdawers on X and CityTalkSavannah@gmail.com.