A question of 'Downtown Expansion ? (Savannah, Statesboro: hotels, new construction, university)

[Albania67]

When it comes to expanding ones' Downtown, does that mean building more buildings? Reason i asked is because: Lets take Savannah for instance; Savannah is know for being historic(with historic buildings) so if a downtown like that wants to expand even more, does that mean building more buildings(which would add non historic buildings with Historic buildings) or build other buildings for expansion? Build other buildings, but have certain building codes(architectural ordinance)?

[DanielAvery]

In every small city (and certainly in larger ones) there are areas that are not used "optimally"--that is, the businesses or residences are in a bad grouping, or parcels of land are sub-divided to a point where no one can develop it. There are lots of reasons why a section of town might not be living up to its potential, and in some cases that's by design (like historical importance or wishes of the owners). In my mind "expanding downtown" can either mean businesses expanding further into what is typically thought of as suburban/residential, but it can also refer to taking the existing areas of downtown and re-develop them to make them more productive. Some people would call this "urban renewal," but I think expanding one's downtown goes beyond moving beyond the physical borders, and includes optimizing what land is already there to expand opportunities and uses of the properties. Larger cities probably decide to build upward (if zoning allows) while smaller towns probably focus more on growing along roads that lead out to the suburbs.

I will admit I have not been in Statesboro in many years, but there were some places in the downtown area that I thought were ripe for such revitalization. The poor old (former) McDonalds on South Main has been closed down for seemingly forever. Someone told me that lot was co-owned by several people and that they could not agree on selling it, and in fact had a falling-out with the McD franchisee back in the day which led to the closure of the restaurant. This is an example of a property that ought to be very productive, given its prime location, but has lain vacant for (at least) fifteen years. That plaza where the Statesboro Herald building was when I lived there (and might still be there) was dumpy and ridiculously laid out. I always thought it would be a nice central spot for a parking deck when the time came for such a thing. The areas along College Street from the Post Office to Grady Street always seemed "forgotten", considering they were only a block over from the bustling South Main. It may have changed in the intervening years, but in the 1990s there was basically nothing there except the old "Wearhouse" junk shop.

[Newsboy]

Unless it's changed recently, South Main Street in Statesboro has been horribly depressed looking for a long time now -- something I've never understood since it's the main gateway to downtown. It hurts Statesboro tremendously that downtown and the university campus are separated by RR tracks and several blocks of blight.

As for Downtown Savannah ... it's far too complicated to go into in detail here, but the Historic District has seen tons of new construction over the past 20 years -- most notably in dozens of new hotels that blend seamlessly into the fabric of the city, thanks to very strict zoning and design codes.

Then there have been efforts to expand Savannah's downtown north onto Hutchinson Island, east via Savannah River Landing and west into the Canal District. None of these areas are bound by the same restrictive covenants as the Historic District and thus allow for more modern construction, high-rises etc.

[Albania67]

@DanielAvery: What a great point about the Herald's square parkinglot(maxway store is their). I always thought that plaza could've been great for some type of retail. The parking lot itself is very scratched up and doesnt even seem to be in downtown corridor(which it is). They need to repave that and get the best use out of it(make it fit the Downtown mold better)