I take a lot of photos when I run. Sometimes I learn a bit about what I photograph. – Eric Curl
A new owner is taking on the challenge that is 410 E. 37th St. The new owner is planning to rehabilitate the historic service station building, as presented to the Historic Preservation Commission on Feb. 24. The plan includes rehabilitating the 93-year-old structure’s exterior façade and roof, and repairing the existing concrete curbs and paved areas on the site.
Confined within a triangle-shaped parcel directly adjacent to an active railroad and one of Savannah’s busiest streets, the vacant 1920s-era gas station has presented a variety of challenges to renovation and reuse.
The latest plan comes after the former owner sold the property to 37OASIS LLC for $325,000 on Feb. 1, according to the sales record. The previous owner had proposed renovating the property for use as a single-family home, but later abandoned that plan after the Historic Preservation Commission opposed some aspects of the proposal, such as enclosing the canopy and the size of a planned addition.
The building at 1006 East Broad is available for lease. The building has in the past served as a neighborhood convenience store, game room and nightclub. The building always caught my eye over the years because of the graffiti-covered walls and color scheme. The building dates back to 1946, according to the property record.
The owners of 232 Price Street are seeking approval of an amended plan on March 10 to add a second-story to the building, as part of their plan to convert the property for use as a single-family residence. MPC staff is recommending approval of the alterations to the building, which was constructed as a store between 1916 and 1954 and is a non-contributing building within the downtown historic district, according to the staff report. The main goal of the plan is to provide serenity and privacy with this new residence, while maintaining a strong connection to the downtown historic district, according to the submittal packet.
Site plans were submitted to the MPC on Feb. 5 for Liberty Corner Studios. The submission came after a business application was submitted on Jan. 14 for a sound recording studio and art studio and gallery. The building previously housed Polk’s market, which closed the location in 2011, according to this Savannah Morning News article I wrote in my reporting days. GBU Management, LLC sold the property to Liberty Corner Management, LLC for $930,575 in 2020, according to the property record.
The Savannah Repertory Theater plans to open a black box theater at 402 East Broughton St. following the generous donation by the owner of the former Acura dealership building at the site, according to this Broadway World article. Chatham County accessors valued the property at f $990,000 in 2020, according to the property record. Savannah Repertory intends to open the theater within the building after making some interior work and a fundraiser has been established to support the project.
The city on Feb. 1 issued a permit for a new five-story mixed-use building on a vacant lot at 215 West Broughton Street. With plans publicly revealed back in 2014, the Argentinis building has had previous permits issued and revoked following their expiration with no activity, so it remains to be seen whether the latest permit means construction of the project will actually begin. The site is available to purchase for $2.6 million and is being advertised as “shovel ready” following approval of the building plan by the Savannah Historic District Board of Review in 2018. The building’s proposed design included low-relief stainless steel castings of the Greek Muses by local sculptor Carl G. Fougerousse, according to the 2018 design submittal packet.
The 1884 and 1888 Sanborn Maps indicate a three-story storage building once occupied the site, according to an MPC staff report. By 1889, the building was being used as a hardware store, in connection with the adjoining building to the west. The 1916, 1954, and 1973 Sanborn maps indicate a fourth story was added in 1904. The building was damaged by a fire in 1973 and was subsequently demolished in the 1990s.
A site plan was submitted to the city on Feb. 22 to renovate the downtown building at 27 Montgomery Street for use as an oyster bar. The historic two-story masonry building on the southwest corner of Franklin Square was constructed in 1891 and has been vacant since the Universe Trading Company moved out in 2012. Franklin Square Real Estate, LLC sold the building to B&B Savannah, LLC for $2.5 million in January 2020, according to the property record.
I’ve been seeing these fliers all over town. I’m not sure what they are, but I’m definitely curious. If anyone knows, please email me at eric.curl@savannahagenda.com.
The owner of a former downtown fire station is selling the vacant property about two years after buying it from the city of Savannah. Inman Park Properties purchased the property from the city for $1.05 million after submitting a proposal to restore the 75-year-old building at 6 W. Henry St. for use as a cafe and office space, as reported in this Savannah Morning News article I wrote back in my reporting days. The project never came to fruition and the building is now being advertised online for almost $2 million. Built in 1947, this former fire station features industrial architectural details such as three large bay doors, concrete floors, tall ceilings, and exposed brick, according to the listing.
Movement may be picking up on the Starland Dairy renovation project. A permit application to renovate the old Starland Dairy building at 2425 Bull St. was submitted on Feb. 12. The renovation plan includes retail on the first floor and an eight-room inn on the second floor, according to the application. Plans for this building were previously announced back in 2017, with plans to open it up in 2018, according to a website set up for the project. The building, which dates back to 1932, was purchased by MILK Unlimited, LLC for $215,000 in 2012, according to the property record. The rehabilitation project was previously approved by the Historic Preservation Commission in August 2020.
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