Another new hotel is coming to River Street.
Plans to build an AC Hotel on East River Street received initial approval from the Savannah Historic District Review Board on Tuesday after more than seven years of design reviews and demolition requests.
The hotel is planned for the former site of the Savannah Electric Power Company (SEPCO) headquarters, which was demolished in 2015 by the hotel's developer, Atlanta-based North Point Hospitality. The hotelier opened the Homewood Suites on the previously undeveloped hillside next to the where the power headquarters once stood in 2016 and also owns property across River Street on the waterfront.
The AC Hotel will be situated between the East River Street Ramp onto Bay Street and Homewood Suites.
Credit: GM Shay/North Point Hospitality
Credit: GM Shay/North Point Hospitality
Designed to incorporate themes of a "mid-century office building," the AC Hotel is a concept-driven international chain owned by Marriott that focuses on public spaces and a "refined experience."
Plans for Savannah's first AC Hotel call for a rooftop garden terrace and ground-floor restaurant.
Developers wanted to include a rooftop pool and a pedestrian bridge over the East Broad Street Ramp similar to the wrought-iron pathway over the Montgomery Street ramp but plans for both have been scrapped in the years since the initial presentation.
Calls and messages made to the group's executive offices were not returned by time of publication.
History of the AC Hotel
The waterfront property was first home to the Novelty Iron Works of Rourke and Sons building, built around 1888 for masonry and other building trades. That building was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the SEPCO headquarters. Materials for the new building included asbestos and contaminated the ground soil on the site, according to the developer.
Credit: GM Shay Architects
Credit: GM Shay Architects
The initial request to demolish the SEPCO building was denied by the board in 2015, but was reversed by the Board of Zoning Appeals. The BZA said the initial denial did not stand because it was based on the SEPCO's building "unrealized historical potential."
The lot has since sat empty.
Developer, city partnering on infrastructure improvements
Plans include details about several infrastructure improvements to the public right-of-ways in the surrounding area.
In a 2021 letter to the MPC, it was revealed that "the City of Savannah has requested that North Point Hospitality co-develop the proposed improvements during the construction of the AC Hotel for the following public benefits:"
- Connect the Riverwalk to the East Broad Street Ramp, and connect the corner of Bay and E. Broad Streets to Emmet Park.
- Make accessibility improvements following regulations in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Improve pedestrian safety.
In the same letter, the developer suggested improving the issues with new sidewalks, crosswalks and a public-access elevator at the East Bay Street Ramp.
The hotel has already received construction permits.
Zoe covers growth and how it impacts communities in the Savannah area. Find her at znicholson@gannett.com, @zoenicholson_ on Twitter, and @zoenicholsonreporter on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: AC Hotel coming to Savannah's waterfront at former Savannah Electric headquarters site
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