Mayor questions planned site for new Savannah arena (Rochelle: city hall, neighborhood)

[Airforceguy]

I'm glad Deloach is raising questions about the arena site. What gets me is that no study was actually done to determine where the arena should. So glad Ms Cutter will be gone soon. Worst city manager ever....

“This is a big deal,” DeLoach said. “It’s the most important thing we are going to do in the next 20 years.”

DeLoach raised some concerns after City Manager Stephanie Cutter gave the mayor and aldermen a briefing on the plan to build a new arena at Gwinnett Street and Stiles Avenue, which was adopted by the previous mayor and council. Cutter said that the city has spent $2.4 million assembling land for the redevelopment of the area, including an arena, since 1996.

DeLoach said he was concerned about the investment when there has been no study conducted to determine the logical place for the arena to go.

Alderman Brian Foster also raised concerns about the site, stating the proper due diligence had not been done, while Alderman Estella Shabazz said she saw no need to change the location.

Mayor questions planned site for new Savannah arena | savannahnow.com

[MoreCoffee]

Smart guy.

[Carolina Knight]

Why build an arena in a flood zone? Unless the site is going to be graded for a higher ground elevation, it would be unwise to build it and see it flood in inclement weather.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

I'm glad Deloach is raising questions about the arena site. What gets me is that no study was actually done to determine where the arena should. So glad Ms Cutter will be gone soon. Worst city manager ever....

Mayor questions planned site for new Savannah arena | savannahnow.com

I guess you mean, besides Rochelle Small Toney?

[Airforceguy]

Touche...Rochelle Small Toney was definitely worse.

[Airforceguy]

Bill Dawers column today talked about the arena site. He raises some good points about the new arena spurring economic development if it's part of a larger redevelopment plan for the area. I believe if the city follows through on the Canal District plan, the new arena could pay off for this area.

Many of you have seen arenas and stadiums in other cities that have obviously not spurred economic development in the surrounding area. I can’t think of a single small business that opened downtown just to be close to our current arena at the Civic Center.

But many of you have also seen event facilities like arenas that have symbiotic relationships with the surrounding areas.

It’s risky to assume that an arena by itself will spur investment around it, but if the new facility is part of a broader, well-conceived development plan, many positive things could happen.

Consider the broad vision already articulated by city officials for the so-called Canal District. The arena would obviously be connected to downtown via existing roads, but we would also create a new network of paths and parks.

The increased connectivity would be good for Carver Heights for sure, since the neighborhood would suddenly have pedestrian and bicycle access to downtown.

And then there’s the gorgeous old waterworks, which dates to the late 19th century, at the corner of West Gwinnett Street and Stiles Avenue.

If you’ve never seen that building, you should do yourself a favor and drive over there. The city’s website has an interesting document (http://www.savannahga.gov/documentcenter/view/1377) that discusses the history of the waterworks and includes a few historical photos.

The eventual plan for the new arena site would almost certainly include renovation and reuse of that gorgeous brick waterworks, perhaps for offices. That historic building could then become a visual anchor and economic hub for the neighborhood in ways that the arena might not.

Do we have money to do all that, plus the needed streetscape improvements?

Yes, it appears we do. Before the most recent SPLOST vote, city officials made low estimates of likely revenue and seemingly realistic estimates about the costs of specific projects.

Should we be spending our money on other things? I know a lot of you are asking that.

That’s a broader question that I can’t really answer, except to say that the current arena is inadequate on many levels and that voters have twice approved SPLOST referendums promising a new arena at the selected west side site.

On the other hand, there must be other good sites for an arena, and there’s nothing wrong with the new team at City Hall scrutinizing major decisions like this.

CITY TALK: New arena site just might work for growth in our area | BiS | Business in Savannah News