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SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Members of the Victorian and Streetcar Neighborhood Associations are petitioning to protect places, like the old Sears building on E. Henry Street, from being bought by hotel chains. Leaders of the movement say keeping these developments out of their neighborhoods is crucial to ensure people that live there now can afford to keep living there.
“Some of the things we’re concerned about are the ripple effects. So, it’s not just the hotel itself, but the impacts it has on surrounding real estate, on rents and property values,” says Ryan Madson, the former president of the Victorian Neighborhood Association.
They’re proposing an extension of the current hotel development overlay district, to effectively block the construction of major hotels in these historic districts, all the way to Victory Drive.
Madson, a leader of the movement, wants to keep Savannah local-friendly.
“You could see a local coffee shop turn into a Starbucks, or you could see a local restaurant become a chain or become a frozen daiquiri place like we have on Bay St. So, it’s not just the hotel, but the presence of the hotel, to influence surrounding real estate values, so we don’t really want to see tourist-oriented businesses replace our local businesses,” he says.
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On Thursday, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson acknowledged that he is aware of the association’s proposal.
“There are standards in the Downtown area that the Victorian wants to extend to their area,” says Mayor Johnson.
The proposal has a few steps to go before reaching City Hall, but Madson says surveys they’ve conducted of people in the neighborhoods are heavily in favor of the extension, to safeguard residents’ quality of life.
“Being able to go to businesses that we rely on, that cater to the needs of residents and locals, it’s important to be able to sustain that. Losing that would also mean losing some of the quality of life that we all enjoy in the Victorian neighborhood,” he says.
The neighborhoods hope to get their petition in front of the Metropolitan Planning Commission next week. If it’s approved, it will then go to City Council. will continue to follow this story and update you as we learn more.
