By Eric Curl
Aug. 13, 2023 – SCAD submitted an amended master plan on Friday after the Metropolitan Planning Commission voted to deny a plan to construct a student housing complex at 703 Louisville Road, where a former railroad freight depot is currently located.
The amendments were made in attempt to address the MPC’s concerns regarding student access to nearby SCAD facilities along with Savannah’s Historic District, according to the architect’s cover letter. In addition, there were questions presented on providing adequate space to accommodate SCAD’s Bee Line bus system along with public access along the Springfield Canal to the city’s Arena.
The university added a Pedestrian Access Exhibit to identify existing sidewalks which provide connectivity to nearby SCAD facilities and the Historic District. The exhibit includes a conceptual location of the city’s canal walk to the arena. The university also removed the on-street parking proposed for Louisville Road and replaced it with an off-street bus stop area for SCAD’s Bee Line bus system. In addition, the revised plan includes additional notes to clarify the proposed use of the canal wall maintenance area.
Thomas & Hutton submitted the plan for consideration at the MPC’s Sept. 12 meeting.
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The plan includes the demolition of a majority of the former Seaboard railroad freight depot building in order to construct a 220-unit student housing complex that SCAD officials said could accommodate up to 800 students. Built by the Seaboard Railroad Company in 1929, the building’s ‘Head House’ on the eastern end would be preserved in its existing location under SCAD’s plan.
The vote at the July 25 to deny the plan came after some board members raised concerns about increased traffic, pedestrian safety, impacts to surrounding neighborhoods, SCAD’s tax exempt status and a lack of public access along the Springfield Canal.
SCAD officials and Attorney Joshua Yellin said the plan would be an improvement over a private developer’s previous plan to construct a 300-unit multifamily complex at the site, which was approved in 2020. There would be less car traffic, since only about 20 percent of the students bring cars and SCAD’s bus system would be transporting the remainder, the petitioners said.
The property is still owned by a private entity, 703 Louisville Road LLC, according to property records, and the building was condemned by the city earlier this year due to the condition after finding it to be unfit for human habitation, improperly secured, covered in graffiti and surrounded by litter. The property’s owner, Brian Schultz declined to comment regarding the plan.
SCAD will invest an estimated $3.2 million to fully remediate historical environmental issues on the site, according to a statement issued by the university regarding the project. The city has also been negotiating with SCAD for canal improvements to accompany the student housing development, as previously reported.
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