Savannah City Council members will consider a proposal today that promises to reshape River Street’s eastern end with a major hotel development.
It also promises to be one of the more difficult decisions the new council will make. It juxtaposes an estimated
$80 million job-creating project against historic preservation, which is valued for its own job-creating tourist industry.
Both groups wield considerable sway. The hotel group’s executive vice president, Whip Triplett, is a former Chamber of Commerce president; the Historic Savannah Foundation and the Downtown Neighborhood Association are two of the city’s more politically active associations. They oppose the proposal, as does the Savannah Historic District Board of Review.
Atlanta-based North Point Hospitality Group, which operates five Savannah hotels, wants to build a hotel complex on nearly
4 acres around the old Georgia Power building between East Bay and River streets.
One hotel would sit on the terraced slope overlooking the River Street entrance. A second hotel, across River Street, would be an L-shaped building that would run east to west along the Riverwalk and extend south, toward General McIntosh Boulevard. It would connect with a parking garage, which would be built facing the intersection of General McIntosh and River Street.
Council members must decide whether to approve amending the Historic District Height Map to allow the second hotel, nearest the river, to be up to five stories tall. The existing height map calls for no more than two stories.
Historic preservation supporters say granting the exception would block views of the river and could create precedent for tossing the restriction at other sites. Development supporters say this would be a one-time allowance and the buildings would be no taller than the neighboring Georgia Power building and the Savannah Riverfront Marriott.
Mayor Edna Jackson, Alderman Tony Thomas and Alderwoman Mary Osborne are leaning toward supporting the proposal, though Jackson and Osborne said they needed to hear public input today before really deciding.
Alderman John Hall understands the difficulty, but has made his decision.
“We must respect (preservationists’) opinions,” he said. “They have done well by this city, but I have to vote in favor. It would mean some needed jobs for this city.”
Neither Osborne nor Alderwoman Mary Ellen Sprague could dismiss the need for job growth, but they also were weighing the need for preservation. Osborne worked with the groups to help develop the height map and wasn’t keen to go against it. Sprague was trying to keep a long-range view.
“River Street is a tourist attraction unto itself,” she said. “There is a higher level of expectation about what is built there.”
She took consolation that even if council approves the height change, it would still return to Historic District Board of Review for approval of various components of the final design.
In other business, council is expected to approve a $75,000 consulting contract to help determine where and how an arena development should take shape. The recommended vendor is J&P Consulting of Duluth.
