By Eric Curl
Dec. 22, 2022 – Ralston College is following through with announced plans to establish a new educational institution “dedicated to human flourishing” in Savannah.
However, the nonprofit college will have to try again next year after being denied a tax exemption for the historic downtown mansion it purchased for $3.5 million. The Chatham County Board of Assessors denied the exemption last week because the college did not take ownership until May. The college needed to own the building at the start of the year in order to qualify for the 2022 exemption.
A similar reason was behind the board’s decision to also deny an exemption for a Baldwin Park home the college purchased for $572,500 in June to house a faculty member.
The college purchased the downtown mansion to use for classrooms, offices and a library, according to public records.
Constructed in 1869, the mansion at 3 West Gordon St. on Monterey Square previously housed Alex Raskin Antiques.
The college is now working with local and national preservation experts to carefully restore the “much-loved Savannah landmark in the highest and best manner,” according to spokesperson Katie Rook.
The college intends to apply again in 2023 and the decision by the board to deny the exemptions for this year will have no impact on the college’s plans, Rook said.
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