Feature photo: The vacant building at 3700 Wallin Street will be demolished to make way for a self-storage facility, according to recent plans.
By Eric Curl
Demolition nears for longtime roller-skating venue to make way for self-storage facility
Nov. 1, 2026 – A permit associated with the demolition of a long-time roller-skating venue at 3700 Wallin St. was issued on Oct. 27, following the property’s $3 million sale in September. The commercial permit describes the work as demolition of the 45-year-old building near Skidaway Road and the McAlpin Square shopping center. Minnesota-based Doran Companies plans to replace the structure with a three-story, 113,000-square-foot climate-controlled self-storage facility containing about 760 units, according to the developer’s website. The facility is expected to be completed in November 2027.
Built in 1981, the existing building originally housed Savannah Skate Inn and later SuperGoose Sports, a venue for roller hockey and the Savannah Derby Devils, before shutting down in 2013 and being converted to a church. The pending demolition comes as the 912 Skaters Coalition seeks out a new skating venue following the closure of Star Castle last year, as previously reported.
MPC approves parking reduction to accommodate new restaurant at East Broad and 38th streets
Nov. 1, 2026 – The Metropolitan Planning Commission on Tuesday voted on Oct. 27 to recommend the city approve a parking reduction for the East Broad Lofts at 533 E. 38th St. The change would reduce the requirement for the existing 36-unit multi-family development from 36 parking spaces to 29 parking spaces and eliminate the multifamily development’s reliance on the existing remote parking lot at the northeast corner of E. 38th St. and East Broad Street. The petitioner, Harley Krinsky, is proposing to allocate the 17 remote parking space to a new 102-seat restaurant at 2121 East Broad St. The address is where the EB Thirty Eighth Social Hall is currently located.
Thunderbolt Dink Dome complex serving up more than pickleball
Nov. 1, 2026 – Thunderbolt is getting a new pickleball complex, restaurant, retail shop and lounge — all in one, thanks to Rickey and Whitney Greer.
The couple is inviting the community to come to the new Thunderbolt Dink Dome for a pickleball match, coffee, dinner or courtside cocktail.
The new establishment at 3109 E. Victory Drive began a “soft opening” on Sunday that will continue through Nov. 14. Read more>
City moves to revoke ‘mistakenly issued’ inn approvals for Thomas Square apartment development
Oct. 24, 2026 – The city of Savannah is preparing to revoke a local developer’s business approvals for three “inns” in the Thomas Square neighborhood, after residents decried the new development, a recently completed building complex that was originally proposed to be residential apartments.
Residents said The Jardin was effectively operating as a hotel serving visitors rather than as the apartments originally proposed for the two buildings at Montgomery and 43rd streets.
The controversy comes less than a year after the neighborhood successfully petitioned in December 2025 to become part of an overlay district that prohibits hotels — lodging establishments with more than 15 rooms. Read more>
Kiah House restoration, gallery nearing completion
Oct. 24, 2026 – The Kiah House and public gallery projects are approximately 90% complete, according to officials with Civis, the nonprofit development organization behind the effort.
The historic home at 505 W. 36th St. was converted into a museum in 1959 by artist and educator Virginia Jackson Kiah, who used the space to showcase art and promote cultural understanding in Savannah. Read more>
New Club One bar, restaurant OK’d for alcohol
Oct. 11, 2026 – The plan to reopen Club One at its new location took one step closer to reality last week, with the Savannah City Council’s support.
The city council voted on Thursday to approve two alcohol licenses for the iconic nightclub made famous by Lady Chablis and “The Book”. The licenses are for the new location at 302 Williamson St., where the nightclub Elan previously operated. Club One closed its doors in April at the original location, 1 Jefferson St., after nearly four decades and has been working to relocate to the former Elan venue about a block away on Williamson, as previously reported.
“Weeping Time” site for sale again, demolition permits submitted
Oct. 8, 2026 – The “Weeping Time” site is once again being marketed as “prime industrial land” for sale just two miles from the Georgia Ports.
In addition, an application was recently submitted to demolish the vacant warehouse buildings on the 35-acre site at 204 Old West Lathrop Avenue. A city-commissioned archaeological survey previously identified the property as the former Ten Broeck Race Course, where more than 400 enslaved men, women and children were auctioned in March 1859.
Cotton Exchange sold with museum in mind
Oct. 6, 2026 – The Cotton Exchange building on Bay Street recently sold for $8.2 million as interior demolition plans make their way through the review process.
Cotton Exchange LLC purchased the property on Sept. 29 for $1.8 million less than the $10 million price it was advertised for when the Solomon’s Lodge folks listed the 1886 building for sale in November 2025.
“Tire City” building poised to begin next chapter
Oct. 5, 2026 – The former Tire City building on Montgomery Street, just south of Victory Drive, has a lot more history behind it than decades of servicing cars. The building dates back dates to the 1940s and once housed the Riche Rich Ice Cream Manufacturing Company (it predates the cartoon) that made and operated as a wholesaler of novelty ice cream like ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, and push-ups.
The new owners plan on getting the building’s past recognized by getting the structure certified as a historic structure by the National Park Service. Then they intend to write its next chapter.
Sept. 26, 2026 – The Montgomery neighborhood restaurant, bar opening in former Das Box space
A new neighborhood-focused restaurant and bar called The Montgomery is preparing to open in the former Das Box space at 1006 E. Broad St. Co-owner Connor Schofield said during a recent interview that the business is targeting a soft opening in mid-October and potentially a Halloween grand opening. Schofield said the restaurant will offer a simple, relatively inexpensive menu of burgers, hot dogs, fries, chicken and vegetarian sandwiches, salads, soup and baked potatoes, along with a full bar and a wine list expected to range from about $8 to $14 a glass. The space will also feature a small stage for low-key live performances such as three- or four-piece acts and jazz brunches, with Schofield emphasizing that the concept is intended for nearby residents rather than tourists. The Savannah City Council on Thursday approved the restaurant’s alcohol license with Sunday sales.
Georgia Power buys Pooler property for $5.4M for power-grid expansion
Georgia Power recently purchased a 9.68-acre vacant commercial property on Pooler Cross Road for $5.4 million as part of plans to upgrade the electrical transmission system serving Pooler, West Chatham and Bloomingdale. The Sept. 10 purchase from PLR Entertainment Group comes about four years after the seller acquired the property for $2.9 million, while county records currently appraise the land at about $1.94 million. Engineers identified the need for upgrades several years ago as forecasted electricity demand in the area more than doubled since 2006 amid extensive residential and commercial growth, leading the company to devise a plan involving several substations, according to Georgia Power spokesperson Joshua Peacock. The newly acquired property will accommodate infrastructure intended to support that expansion, with the project still early in the construction process, Peacock said in an email Thursday.
Club One progress
Speaking of alcohol licenses, Club One appears to be moving closer to reopening at its new downtown Savannah location, with two alcohol-license applications recently filed with the city. In a nod to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, an LLC dubbed Don’t Dream It, Be It is listed as the applicant for the space. The filings are the latest sign of progress for the longtime nightlife venue, which closed its former 1 Jefferson St. location in April after nearly four decades and has been working to relocate to the former Elan venue at 301 Williamson St. The club announced in August that it had parted ways with Pride Holdings Group and would move forward under local ownership led by longtime operators Travis Coles, Trey Coles and Rick Garman, with a reopening expected this fall. The club has said the new location will continue hosting drag shows, theater productions and other performances while serving Savannah’s LGBTQ+ and performing arts communities.
Savannah council approves $686K in Grayson Stadium repairs amid questions about Bananas’ share
The Savannah City Council on Thursday approved a $686,000 contract with Rowe Construction for structural repairs to historic Grayson Stadium after inspections found significant deterioration beneath the grandstands, including spalling concrete, exposed and corroded reinforcing steel and structural cracking.
The project will repair concrete cracks and spalls and reinforce structural steel to restore the grandstands’ structural integrity, with the city using a state of Georgia contract for the work.
The vote came after Alderwoman Linda Wilder-Bryan questioned whether the Savannah Bananas should contribute more toward stadium repairs.
City Manager Jay Melder said the team pays $25,000 a year in rent but has also made substantial capital improvements, including a new training facility and locker room behind center field that he valued at close to $3 million that now belongs to the city. Melder said he would provide the council with a comparison of city and Bananas’ investments at the stadium.
Mayor Van Johnson compared the arrangement to a landlord-tenant relationship, saying the city remains responsible for some improvements to the city-owned stadium regardless of who occupies it.
“I want to just add some context because I was there where we had a stadium that was a hundred years old in huge disrepair and no one was in it … ” Johnson said. “We have a tenant that now helps us take responsibility for this building that we love so much.”
The approval comes as the city is separately seeking remediation services for damaged trees around the stadium that officials attributed to unpermitted grading work, as recently reported.
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