By Eric Curl
Jan. 14, 2024 – The Historic District Board of Review postponed consideration of a petition for alterations to the building at 144 Drayton St. at their meeting on Wednesday.
Constructed in 1973 on the northeast corner of Drayton and Oglethorpe Avenue, the 2-story building is a non-contributing resource within the Downtown Historic District. The building is now 50 years old, however, and some MPC members said that the non-contributing status should be re-evaluated. If determined to be a contributing resource, then some of the alterations would not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s standards, according to MPC staff.
The board would like staff to engage in conversations with city officials about possibly extending the period of significance of buildings that fall in “gray area” when it comes to non-contributing and contributing, said Vice Chair Karen Guinn.
Concerns were also raised about the planned removal of a staircase at the Oglethorpe entrance, rather than enclose it behind glass, which would be reversible. The owner, Johnny Yang, said he intends to lease the space to a retail tenant and wanted to provide “a common storefront look.”
In other news:
The Savannah City Council approved a special use request to allow accessory beer and wine sales within a bakery at 220-222 East 41st.The property abuts a duplex on the west and other commercial structures, including the Lone Wolf Lounge, on the east. The building in the Thomas Square Streetcar Historic District was built in 1970.
The property was purchased last August by Lincoln Park Ventures, a joint partnership made up of the owners of the Lone Wolf Lounge, Andrew Ripley and Tom Worley, and Moodrights’ and Over Yonder owners Chris Moody and David Parajon.
The goal with the acquisition is to provide business venture opportunities to Savannah locals and to carve out territory that can be of service to Thomas Square and surrounding neighborhoods, Worley said.
In addition to the bakery, the spaces are being rented out to a therapist’s office, Maz Pax, and vintage clothing store, Rex and Willow Vintage.
‘Taylor’ square marker approved as lawsuit continues
The Savannah City Council approved the installation of a granite ground marker for the newly named “Taylor Square” in honor of Susie King Taylor.
The proposed marker notes that the city council in 2022 removed the name of John C. Calhoun, the 7th US Vice President and “a staunch supporter of slavery,” and the following year named the square for Taylor, a “formerly enslaved educator and nurse, and the first African American to openly teach in the state of Georgia.”
The city is planning on a celebration and marker unveiling in February. Meanwhile a lawsuit challenging the legality of the square’s renaming remains unresolved. A motion hearing concerning the matter is scheduled for April, after originally being filed in July 2022 by Savannah resident David Tootle, an unsuccessful 2023 Chatham County Commission candidate.
Drainage improvements on the way
The city council also approved a $40 million contract with The Industrial Company (TIC) for Casey Canal drainage improvements. The project is being funded with voter approved Special Purpose Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, along with water and sewer enterprise funds.
(Speaking of SPLOST, revenue from the latest voter-approved sales tax is on track to exceed $600 million by the time it expires in late 2025, which is good news for the city.)
The proposed construction work associated with the pending drainage project includes improvements along 54th Street between Atlantic Avenue and Harmon Street and along 56th Street and 57th Street between Abercorn Street and Harmon Street.
Read what else happened in Other News & Voices, a compilation of work by local journalists, writers and historians.
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