City of Savannah to host community celebration to mark Civic Center arena demolition

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The City of Savannah is inviting the community to gather to say a final farewell to the former Savannah Civic Center arena and look ahead to what is next for the historic downtown site.

The city will host a community celebration, themed “Honoring the Legacy, Building the Future,” on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event will take place in the Civic Center parking lot at 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave.

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The gathering marks the beginning of the demolition process for the former arena.

Mayor Van Johnson, members of the Savannah City Council, City Manager Jay Melder, and various local stakeholders and community members will speak at the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the Civic Center and witness a ceremonial presentation of a commemorative brick from the arena to the City’s Office of Municipal Archives & History.

The public will also be invited to participate in a commemorative brick retrieval ceremony to take home their own piece of the historic building.

The event is free and open to the public.