Earlier this year, the Joseph Tribble Park lake went dry. Savannah City Council learned why during Thursday’s meeting.
The southside park has been a topic of concern in District 6 recently after the lake began leaking into an adjacent creek after a breach. After the water level in the pond began dropping, and then completely drained earlier this year, a geotechnical engineer determined the water loss was caused by internal erosion at the bottom of the embankment, according to Savannah Assistant Manager Heath Lloyd.
Lloyd said crews initially thought there was one breach, but after the pond was drained multiple breach locations that ranged in severity were found.
Credit: City of Savannah
Credit: City of Savannah
“That is why this is such a complex repair, not just because of the extensive investigation that requires a geotechnical engineer, but because of what they have found.,” he said.
Lloyd said a timeline for completion wasn’t available at this time, but he hoped to have an update in the coming weeks. The repairs are expected to cost about $2.5 million.
“We believe we are really close to a solution that not only will fix the problem, it will put us in a position where we will no longer have this discussion in the future," he said.
"It's the same type of solution that the likes of the Army Corps of Engineers (would implement). My hope is to be able to come back to council as soon as we finalize that design, and really give both council as well as the viewing public an update as it relates to the timeline to start the repair."
Savannah City Council received an update on several notable capital projects on Thursday during its workshop. The list included developments across the city including Hudson Hill, Fernwood and the southside.
Here is a look at some of the projects discussed on Thursday:
Hudson Hill center
Constructed by Chatham County in the mid-1990s and then turned over to the city for operations and maintenance, the Hudson Hill Community Center was torn down in 2019 after cracks were found in the walls and floor the prior year.
A new center was approved in 2019 and the city broke ground on the facility at the corner of Hudson Street and west Lathrop Avenue last November.
Credit: Katie Nussbaum
Credit: Katie Nussbaum
The new center will cost about $3.2 million. Plans call for increasing parking from 29 to 49 spaces and expanding the building’s footprint by 600 square-feet to 4,600 square-feet.
The center will include a large multi-purpose room, rooms for seniors and youth, a commercial kitchen and larger restrooms. Work is currently ongoing and construction is expected to be complete in November or December 2022.
Grant Center Gym
Just a few miles away from Hudson Hill, the city is constructing a new gym at the Moses Jackson Center on Richards Street. The new Grant Center Gym will house the only full-sized basketball court on the westside.
The city broke ground on the project last October.
Credit: Katie Nussbaum
Credit: Katie Nussbaum
Windows in the Moses Jackson Center are being replaced and two underutilized storage areas in the center are being renovated into a fitness room and a weight room.
The $4.5 million project is already vertical and expected to be complete by the end of 2022 or start of 2023.
Delaware center
Located at 1815 Lincoln St., the John Delaware Community Center is undergoing several updates, including a new entrance to make the entry more prominent, new exterior paint, landscaping updates and window replacements.
The $1.6 million project also includes removing and replacing flooring, ceilings, doors, and toilet partitions, new interior paint, larger computer lab and updates to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
Work is currently ongoing and expected to be complete in August.
Fernwood Park updates
The city is also working on several updates in and around Fernwood Park, including repair and updates to a footbridge and new greenspace.
The new Fernwood Park will be constructed along Jordan Drive and include a 30-foot gazebo, playground, walking trail, along with benches and waste receptacles will also be added to the area.
The additions will be across four city-owned Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lots, which are properties that were purchased by the city as part of a flood mitigation grant program administered by FEMA.
The next step for the project is procurement and FEMA approval, which the city is actively pursuing. Construction, which is expected to take about three months, will begin after FEMA approval. The cost of the project is $450,000.
Southside community center
Included in the fiscal year 2022 budget approved by council in Dec. 2021, the city is planning to construct a southside community center at the corner of Largo Drive and Windsor Road on an already city-owned lot.
Still in the early stages, the city is also exploring alternate site plans and will conduct a community engagement process before making a final decision.
The $5 million project is expected to take upwards of three years to complete.
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: Tribble Park lake breach requires a 'complex repair'
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