Mayor Johnson announces public engagement on Civic Center's future, eyes end of May for council action

Long-awaited updates on the future of the Civic Center site are here, ushering in a series of opportunities for the public to provide the City of Savannah input on the midcentury facility's future.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson announced the city's public input process during his weekly press conference Tuesday. Public input will include a stakeholder meeting with arts groups, business groups and neighborhood associations, and a series of open houses.

More details on the public engagement opportunities will be released by the city in the future, but here are the engagement opportunities announced Tuesday:

• April 25, One-hour Stakeholder Sessions with representatives from the business community, Metropolitan Planning Commission, neighborhood associations, arts community, and other community stakeholders
• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., May 7, Community-wide Open House, Civic Center Ballroom
• 6 p.m., May 16, Virtual Open House, information on how to participate available May 4
• TBD, Open House for Southside

According to a press release from the City, "these sessions will include a review of the project background; provide updates on technical analysis, cultural landscape analysis, survey, and archaeology assessment; an opportunity for community feedback on questions focusing on the facility, community, and the future of the site with consideration to arts, land uses, community and public space."

"Our goal is to make sure we left no one out of the conversation," Johnson said.

What We Know:Savannah Civic Center redevelopment history and public input

Different plans call for different outcomes for Savannah Civic Center site

Addressing the future of the civic center has been discussed since at least 2019, when the Urban Land Institute conducted a city-commissioned report that ultimately recommended demolishing the entire Civic Center complex and selling it for mixed-use development.

The issue also was made more prominent by Enmarket Arena opening in 2022 and providing Savannah with a larger, updated entertainment space.

The city floated a potential plan for the Civic Center in 2022 that proposed retaining and renovating the Johnny Mercer Theatre while demolishing the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena to build a municipal office building.

Johnson said at the beginning of the year his goal was to tackle top issues, such as Civic Center site redevelopment, within the first three to six months of the new council term.

The sum of the city's public engagement process will result in City Manager Jay Melder creating a "composite report" which will provide city council with options for to vote on. Tuesday, Johnson said the goal is for council to vote on a plan during the last meeting in May.

"It is time," Johnson said. "I promised public engagement, and so here it is."

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.