Savannah River Street redevelopment vision plan approved by city council

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah’s city council approved a finalized vision plan Thursday for redevelopment of River Street, one of the city’s most famous areas.

The plan will work on 48 points across the 12-acre district with the goal of renovating the waterfront so that it “rivals the world’s greatest urban waterfronts,” according to the plan.

The redevelopment will be funded through a hotel motel tax that city council adopted in 2019. “That couple of dollars that don’t come from the everyday local it comes from the visitors, that’s the money we’re using,” said Detric Leggett, District 2 Alderman.

Planned improvements

The city created a group called Savannah’s Waterfront Community Improvement District to oversee the project. Julie Musselman, the district’s executive director, said the effort involves collaboration between property owners and the city.

“We’re talking about property owners and the city collaborating together to create a beautiful environment,” Musselman said.

The improvements will focus on enhancing security while increasing space for entertainment venues. Renovating Factor’s Walk and constructing marked gateways at each River Street entrance are among the larger projects on the horizon, Musselman said.

“I just tell everyone get ready because a lot of great things are happening on the riverfront,” Leggett said.

Future phases

Thursday’s approval marks phase 1 of the project. Some of the projects will take years to complete.

The hotel motel tax is also funding two additional projects: a trail system and the demolition of an abandoned building to create a farmer’s market space.