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Old 09-26-2016, 08:09 PM
 
6,479 posts, read 7,139,007 times
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Glad to see the city is considering selling this site. It would be a perfect location for a major mixed-use development featuring residential. Something DT Savannah desperately needs when its comes to new construction....

Quote:
The lot, purchased by city council in 2012, cost $3,000,000. It was intended to be the site of a new Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police headquarters.

“This is probably the biggest block of undeveloped land in the historic district available right now,” said Foster.

But plans for a new headquarters were put on the backburner, and the lot became parking for SCMPD employees.

“That property has become way too valuable to be a parking lot and ultimately a police headquarters,” he said.

Now, Foster says the land value is much higher than the original purchase price.

“I know it’s worth a lot more than three million dollars.”

And he’s in favor of a council agenda item recommending declaring the lot surplus, and available for sale.

If approved, City Manager Robert Hernandez would solicit sealed bids for the lot.

The agenda item says the lot would be used for a mixed-use development.

“We’re not interested in a hotel going there, we really want to see more residential property downtown,” said Foster.
City considering selling lot next to SCMPD HQ
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Old 09-29-2016, 07:49 AM
 
Location: Savannah
2,099 posts, read 2,266,722 times
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Agree-this is good news. More residential here and stores or restaurants on ground floor would be perfect.
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Old 09-29-2016, 07:53 AM
 
474 posts, read 584,669 times
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An urban supermarket with underground parking and residential above would be great here.
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Old 09-29-2016, 08:29 AM
 
Location: Savannah
2,099 posts, read 2,266,722 times
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Oh sure I totally agree! I wonder if the market will start supporting more development putting in underground parking, like they're doing over by Drayton Tower? With how high up from the river most downtown places are they can fit three or four levels deep of parking. Perhaps the market will move this way; that would be a great and efficient use of space.
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Old 09-29-2016, 08:35 AM
 
474 posts, read 584,669 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SavannahLife View Post
Oh sure I totally agree! I wonder if the market will start supporting more development putting in underground parking, like they're doing over by Drayton Tower? With how high up from the river most downtown places are they can fit three or four levels deep of parking. Perhaps the market will move this way; that would be a great and efficient use of space.
It's extraordinarily expensive to dig below ground. Underground garages like the Whitaker Street and even the Perry Lane Hotel have sump pumps to keep the groundwater from flooding into the garage, with redundancies for power failures.

However, something high volume like a supermarket, coupled with upscale apartments (high turnover and high profit) would easily pay for an underground garage in a matter of years.

Underground garages will also be more common, simply because of the height restrictions in the historic district.
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Savannah GA
13,709 posts, read 21,843,066 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SavannahLife View Post
Oh sure I totally agree! I wonder if the market will start supporting more development putting in underground parking, like they're doing over by Drayton Tower? With how high up from the river most downtown places are they can fit three or four levels deep of parking. Perhaps the market will move this way; that would be a great and efficient use of space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajc100890 View Post
It's extraordinarily expensive to dig below ground. Underground garages like the Whitaker Street and even the Perry Lane Hotel have sump pumps to keep the groundwater from flooding into the garage, with redundancies for power failures.

However, something high volume like a supermarket, coupled with upscale apartments (high turnover and high profit) would easily pay for an underground garage in a matter of years.

Underground garages will also be more common, simply because of the height restrictions in the historic district.
That lot is big enough (an entire undivided city block if I'm thinking right) that even one level of below street-level paring, with two levels above ground wrapped on the street sides with retail, would probably suffice. At any rate, with parking downtown at such a premium any dense residential development will have to include at least one space per unit to be marketable and on the safe side IMO.

Other more recent residential projects downtown such as the Hue and the new SCAD dorm village have units stacked on top of parking, but I don't think that will work in the heart of the district.
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Old 09-29-2016, 09:18 AM
 
Location: Savannah GA
13,709 posts, read 21,843,066 times
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Yes I was right -- that block is HUGE since no lane passes through it (well, there is one designated as Oglethorpe Lane but it doesn't exist really). Tons of potential here!
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City considering selling lot next to SCMPD HQ-img_4872.jpg  
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Old 09-29-2016, 10:50 AM
 
474 posts, read 584,669 times
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Yea, I measured it off in Google Earth and it's 1.25 acres. It appears Oglethorpe Lane was also removed. I wonder if the City will allow the developer to completely abandon the lane. Otherwise, that limits the land that can be developed.
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Old 09-29-2016, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Savannah
2,099 posts, read 2,266,722 times
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This is why I love it so much here. Dense midrise mixed use with more and more people living as well as working here in the downtown city. We really do have one of the best city landscapes around. The height map is one of the guiding principles amongst others that blends new and old here.

Yes for buildings outside the core, parking on the first floor makes sense. Especially when thinking about flooding! But yeah in the heart of downtown I wouldn't want to walk by blocks of parking garage.. retail shops and restaurants and some residential is a lot friendlier for ground level. Plus the historic district is the highest place in the whole area, so (hopefully) a little less need to elevate stuff off the ground floor.
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