Revelers can expect a slightly different Savannah St. Patrick’s Day experience next month as the city’s annual celebration returns after a two-year hiatus after city council approved several changes related to Savannah’s to-go cup zone and permits during its meeting on Thursday night.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said since the holiday falls on a Thursday, instead of Friday or Saturday, which would typically be busier, it’s a good time to experiment with the changes.
“This is an opportunity for us to change the narrative. If it works, we will have the opportunity to fine tune, if it doesn't then we try something else,” he said.
"But the fact of the matter is what I'm most proud of is that we are doing something about it."
Credit: City of Savannah
Credit: City of Savannah
The first modification is the expansion of the to-go cup zone. The area to legally enjoy your alcoholic beverage outside will be bounded east by the Truman Parkway, west to the centerline of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, south to Victory Drive and north to the Savannah River. Note that pedestrians are not allowed on the Talmadge Bridge.
Typically the to-go zone is bounded by River Street to the north and Jones Street to the south, West Boundary Street and the railroad tracks to the east on President Street.
The extension is only in place on March 17.
Secondly, the city will not issue any permits for private activities on the public rights-of-way, including outdoor entertainment and alcohol sales within the to-go cup zone, from March 17 to March 20. This means no stages with live music along River Street and no food or beer tents.
Lastly, the issuance of parking permits for out-of-town motorcoaches within the expanded to-go cup zone will also be suspended.
Local transportation service companies that provide shuttle services will not be impacted but must register with the City of Savannah and will be required to provide, at a minimum, routes and pick-up and drop-off locations and times.
Council approved the changes by a vote of 7-2 with Alderwomen Alicia Miller Blakely and Bernetta Lanier casting the dissenting votes.
Blakely said she voted against the St. Patrick's Day changes because there was no Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade. The parade organizers, not the city, canceled the event in January.
Waters Ave. shopping center
City council also unanimously approved a $1.7 million contract to Johnson-Laux Construction for the renovation of the former It’s Amazing space at 2005 Waters Ave. The renovations will bring space for the Savannah Impact Program and the Office of Neighborhood Safety Engagement.
“It's really a space we want to create to be a resource for those organizations and a place for the community to come together and coordinate around this issue,” City Manager Jay Melder told council.
The planned renovation of the approximately 7,400 square feet of tenant space will include asbestos abatement and disposal, replacement of the entire storefront of the tenant space, replacement of doors and windows, replacement of all flooring, ceilings, and lighting, replacement of all electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems, replacement and addition restrooms, the addition of offices, break room, conference room, and community rooms, repainting all walls, roof repairs, installation of IT and security systems.
Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter expressed concerns over the contract amount.
“I don't know a whole bunch about construction and I do know that construction costs have increased because of the economy. But unless we are putting another story on the building, this level of investment, it kind of takes me back a little bit,” she said.
Melder told council that a total of $3 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget has been earmarked for the property.
“We are going to watch the cost and make sure that we're getting every dollar out of it. But know that there are going to be additional contracts that I'm going to ask council and additional dollars will be put into this property to finish our vision for it,” he said.
The city purchased the space in 2009 to house a police precinct station, but the cost was determined to be too high. Since then various plans surrounding the shopping center have fallen through.
On Thursday Melder told council that the long term vision for the space was a full service grocer.
“That's going to be a lot of work and some years down the road to make sure that we're able to invest in that corridor in the right ways that would attract something like a full scale grocer there,” he said.
Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at knussbaum@savannahnow.com. Twitter: KnussSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: City Hall notebook: Savannah council approves St. Patrick's Day changes, renovations to Waters Ave. center
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