PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. () – Tuesday marked a significant milestone for the most substantial investment in Port Wentworth’s history.

The final beam was placed atop the multi-million-dollar Ice Cove and amphitheater, bringing the project one step closer to completion, anticipated within the next year.

“It’s thrilling to reach this milestone, considering it was merely a forest two years ago,” expressed Port Wentworth City Manager Steve Davis.

Located behind I-95 on Meinhard Road, the area is now far from its wooded origins.

In a celebratory fashion, the City of Port Wentworth, in collaboration with the Savannah Ghost Pirates, honored the site’s progress. City officials and team members marked an “X” and buried a treasure, creating a time capsule to commemorate the occasion.

The facility is not only meant to bring some fun to Port Wentworth but serve as a major tool for Savannah’s professional hockey team in attracting new and top tier talent.

“We’re trying to do a lot for the community but we’re also trying to win,” John Thompson, Ghost Pirates vice president, told News 3, “Compared to the other teams- I’ll say they don’t like us very much because we’re raising the bar, but I’ll say we’re raising the beam.”

It is also keeping current players happy.

“Their reaction is: ‘Can we have it open tomorrow?’” said Thompson, “Again, you don’t get this at this type of level.”

The high-profile project has not been without controversy.

It originally got pushback from some of the public after learned there was no formal vote from city council to greenlight it prior to the April 2023 announcement.

However, the city manager previously told us city council was always unanimously on board, and Tuesday said the support has been tremendous.

“Of course you’re gonna have your detractors out there, but the support way outweighs that,” said David.

The facility is anticipated to open in August 2026.