Savannah Agenda: Sunday Summary – Aug. 21, 2022

Good morning,

Most residents are probably not familiar with the Chatham-Savannah Land Bank Authority, which does not get much media coverage. The authority does important work though and more people should be aware of what the efforts it makes towards providing housing and eradicating blight. Sometimes those efforts don’t necessarily work out as intended, which you can read about in this morning’s newsletter. You will also find a story of a plan to convert an old ice house into a new restaurant in the Starland District, while another historic building on East Broad Street may soon be providing shelter to 10 converted hearses now used to entertain tourists with ghost tales.

Stay Engaged Savannah,

Eric Curl

The latest

The Chatham-Savannah Land Bank Authority has adopted new guidelines and requirements to ensure developers meet the terms of affordable housing agreements after learning one of the authority’s former properties was recently sold for a price higher than what the board approved. After being questioned about the sale by the land bank’s director, the same developer indicated three additional properties acquired from the land bank would also be sold for prices above the proposed amounts. In addition, Savannah Agenda has found that the sale was not the first time the developer sold a property for more than what was initially proposed to the board.

While dead people are the basis of the business, dead vehicles could kill it.

To protect 10 converted hearses from the wicked elements, the owner of Hearse Ghost Tours is planning on resurrecting the vacant building at 1501 East Broad St. as a parking garage for the Savannah tour company’s vehicles.

The owner of the Victory North event venue and two nearby restaurants is planning on adding to his growing portfolio of businesses in Savannah’s Streetcar Historic District in the area known as the Starland District.

Mohamed Eldibany is planning to rehabilitate the historic building at 15 W. 43rd St., across Whitaker Street from Victory North, for use as a restaurant.