What do you think about the plans for Broughton St.? (Savannah: price, architecture)

[Newsboy]

JCrew opened today. Beautiful store. Beautiful people. Open bar, free food, pulsating music from a live DJ. Very exciting addition to Broughton Street!

Unrelated ... but I was reminded today of a number of very upscale stores that are already downtown off Broughton. High-end French linens retailer Yves Delorme is one of them. They've been at the corner of Whitaker and York for several years and appear to do quite well at that location just off Wright Square.

[Airforceguy]

Steak 'n Shake coming to downtown Savannah | savannahnow.com

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

Steak 'n Shake coming to downtown Savannah | savannahnow.com

Buried in the story about about Steak 'n Shake:

... the review board gave a much warmer reception to developer Ben Carter's revised plans for a new four-story building that would be leased by international clothing retailer H&M ...

“It's elegant, simple and unique,” said board chair Keith Howington.

“It's a really strong improvement,” said Robin Williams. “I applaud what you've done.”

“This to me, proportionally, looks right,” said Reed Engle.

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Buried in the story about about Steak 'n Shake:

... the review board gave a much warmer reception to developer Ben Carter's revised plans for a new four-story building that would be leased by international clothing retailer H&M ...

“It's elegant, simple and unique,” said board chair Keith Howington.

“It's a really strong improvement,” said Robin Williams. “I applaud what you've done.”

“This to me, proportionally, looks right,” said Reed Engle.

Regarding the proposed H&M building on Broughton, it sounds as if it was tweaked quite a bit. I wonder if there are any new depictions drawn up? The original looked butt ugly.

[Newsboy]

Beautiful store! If the rest of what Ben Carter has planned for BS turns out this nice, the street will be fabulous indeed.

[SavannahLife]

Yes it looks nice thanks for the pic, and it will be nice, too. Now I'm just mad at myself I missed what sounded like cool free food and drink!

[Airforceguy]

Well Mr. Carter has finally released renderings of his plans for the new streetscape for Broughton. I must say I'm impressed with what I see so far, but we will have to see what the final product looks like.
Broughton developer Ben Carter details streetscape plans | savannahnow.com

[CenHigh05]

While the new stores Carter brought to Broughton street have all looked nice, I am not impressed by the streetscape plan. I was expecting something unique, not a throwback to the 1900s, but I'm pretty sure that was the point. These "improvements" will likely make the street look older than it does now, in my opinion. I agree with Dabit,“It’s already historic,You shouldn’t have to add things to it to make it look more historic.”

[Albania67]

My question is: Why does he want a TAD?? Doesn't he have the necessary cash for streetscape?

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Albania67

My question is: Why does he want a TAD?? Doesn't he have the necessary cash for streetscape?

He doesn't own the street, the city does. He can't spend his own money to improve public property. That's why the city has to do it. They're responsible for it, and the fact is it needed to be done even before Ben Carter came along. The story is right: The trees are very haphazard, the sidewalks incredibly nasty on some blocks, OK on others. The sidewalk pavements downtown are really inconsistent. Some blocks are brick, some traditional concrete, some a patchwork of asphalt (in front of Panera) and in a few places really nice slate. I think most of King Street in Charleston has slate sidewalks. They look very elegant. King Street is also lined with palm trees, rather than whatever the heck those trees are on Broughton -- some hollies, some something else? Some dead. Some not.

If his investment on the street is the financial catalyst to finally get new sidewalks, trees, light poles, etc., so be it.

As for the schematics, they are WAY WAY WAY over the top IMO. This is Broughton Street in Savannah, after all, not Freemont Street in Las Vegas. But I think that might be part of his ploy: Present something that the city, and the historic review people, are going to balk at, then come back with something more reasonable and appropriate.

Still, it's going to be a tough sell, I'm afraid. It's good to see people like Ruel Joyner of the Downtown Business Association on board. But he's been a supporter of Ben Carter from Day 1. Michael Brown is a slumlord and anything Carter does to improve the street makes him look bad, so of course he's going to oppose it.

I think we'll see this come around similar to the H&M debate: The initial presentation was too much, they reeled it in and went for something more "elegant, simple and unique" ... and everybody goes home happy.