City to Exempt Forsyth Park Office Buildings from Historic Preservation Commission Design Review

Oct. 19, 2025 – The developers behind a planned office building complex and underground parking garage next to Forsyth Park intend to convey the property to the city of Savannah, which would eliminate the need for the project to be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.

The city recently issued a 45-day notice of the pending conveyance and exemption, as required by state law, and the notice from City Manager Jay Melder is included in the Historic Preservation commission’s upcoming meeting agenda for Wednesday as an informational item.

In August, the Savannah City Council approved an amended agreement with the development partnership, Forsyth Commons LLC, for the construction of the proposed three-story, 430-space garage at the site in the Victorian Historic District.

The buildings that had been at the locations along Whitaker Street and Park Avenue were recently demolished after a judge ruled in a July court order that the demolition work could proceed while a court challenge surrounding the construction of the office buildings was litigated.

The demolitions and construction had been challenged in court by two residents who alleged the city’s rezoning approvals for the project were invalid due to a failure to disclose certain political contributions, in violation of zoning procedures law. Following the court complaint, the developers submitted a court filing notifying the court they were abandoning the previous rezoning applications and associated permits related to the proposed development.

Rather than litigate the issue, the developers chose to withdraw the application and request a 90-day stay to determine whether to refile the applications, David Paddison, a minority partner and registered agent for the development, said at the time.

As of September 3, it had not yet been determined whether the design for the structures would have to again be approved, according to Paddison.

The development agreement approved by the city council states that the development group “shall convey the Property to the City” and that as a condition of the conveyance, the city “shall promptly apply for, obtain, or seek exemption/exception from, solely to the extent necessary, Approvals for the Project necessary to develop the Project.” In addition, the agreement calls for the property to be conveyed back to the development group if the project is not completed within five years.

Find the full HPC agenda and see who else is meeting at Meeting Agendas Archives – Savannah Agenda.

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