By Eric Curl
Sept. 1, 2026 – Savannah College of Art and Design is continuing its run of recent property acquisitions with the almost $7.3 million purchase of an industrial parcel west of downtown near its expanding film production complex.
With the Aug. 20 purchase, SCAD has now acquired at least four Savannah properties since December for a combined total of about $22.5 million, including two Louisville Road industrial sites and two properties near Bull and Henry streets.
SCAD acquired the site at 1123 Louisville Road from Estes Express Lines, which had owned the property since purchasing it for $130,000 in 1987, according to the property record. The site, which includes a warehouse and freight yard, has a 2026 appraised value of $704,400, according to Chatham County property records.
A SCAD spokesperson said on Monday that the university plans to use the site for university logistics while it studies long-term options for the property.
The purchase is the latest in a recent series of acquisitions by the university, including a $9.75 million purchase in July of a 4.92-acre industrial property a short distance away at 2337 Louisville Road adjacent to SCAD’s Savannah Film Studios campus, where the university said the site would primarily be used for parking to support continued growth of the film complex.
In the fall, SCAD plans to open the city’s “first dedicated industry-ready soundstage, further expanding opportunities for professional productions to work alongside our state-of-the-art backlot, LED volume, and production facilities,” according to a previous statement from the university.
In May, SCAD also paid about $2.45 million for a vacant office building at 1211 Bull St. near Forsyth Park. That property is next to a former city fire station the university purchased in December 2025 for more than $3 million. The office building has since been demolished and SCAD said following the acquisitions that the university was still determining future plans for both properties.
SCAD’s property purchases come as the nonprofit university continues to report strong financial results. According to the university’s most recent IRS Form 990, revenue exceeded expenses by about $253.5 million during fiscal year 2025, while net assets increased from about $1.81 billion to $2.06 billion.
In a separate statement provided earlier this year, SCAD said it enrolled more than 18,000 students, invested more than $175 million in scholarships during fiscal year 2025, and has adaptively rehabilitated more than 60 historic properties in Savannah since its founding. The university said it continues to reinvest operating assets into student resources and educational needs.
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