Waters Avenue Revitalization

PROMOTING LOCAL CULTURAL IDENTITY,

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS, & REVITALIZING THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR

Davis Allen - Professor Jong Hyun Lim - HIPR 425 Downtown Revitalization - March 11, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1-2 CHAPTER 1

PROJECT INTRODUCTION HISTORICAL CONTEXT

3

OVERVIEW

4-6

EARLY DEVELOPMENT

7-9

TRANSPORTATION BRINGS COMMERCIALIZATION

10-13

WATERS’ ECONOMIC HEYDAY

13-16

A NEIGHBORHOOD IN ECONOMIC DECLINE

CHAPTER 2

CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD SITUATION

17

OVERVIEW

17-18

ANALYZING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS

19-22

SITE OBSERVATIONS

22-23

CRIME AND PERCEPTIONS

24-25

PAST REVITALIZATION ATTEMPTS

CHAPTER 3

FUTURE REVITALIZATION STRATEGIES

26

OVERVIEW

26-27

SOLUTION 1 - ENHANCEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION

27-29

SOLUTION 2 - SPECIAL EVENTS

30-31

SOLUTION 3 - COMMUNITY MARKET

31-33

SOLUTION 4 - URBAN DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS

33-34

SOLUTION 5 - INCREASING FUNDING

34-35

EXPECTED RESULTS

36-37

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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PROJECT INTRODUCTION Visitors to Savannah are drawn to the city’s idyllic buildings, squares, and landscaping in the downtown historic district. Because of the tourism industry, the city has invested heavily into improvements to the downtown area where visitors and tourist attractions are located. While further improvements to downtown could still be made, the areas for the greatest possible improvement in terms of economics and quality of life lie outside of the National Register Historic District. The Waters Avenue Corridor, located to the east of downtown Savannah, has developed as a secondary Main Street within the context of Savannah, and has been on an economic decline for 60 years. The neighborhood is in need of revitalization.

A simple drive down Waters Avenue can give a lot of insight into the district. There is evidence of a previously existing commercial district that is in distress - once thriving businesses have windows that are boarded up, and empty lots that previously contained businesses are now vacant or used as parking lots. The area is not completely abandoned, however, and still contains has a handful of locally owned businesses, community centers, and churches that contribute to the life of the street. Several changes, which will be discussed in this report, could be made to the area that would allow the area to grow to the commercial center that it once was.

A comprehensive plan for revitalization would be very beneficial to Waters Avenue.

Although it lies outside what is typically considered the downtown center of Savannah, it has many qualities that classify it as a traditional downtown. Re-investing in the area and re-branding it as a hub for harboring the growth of local businesses could be a way to alleviate the problems that are arising in Savannah’s downtown historic district. The rise of tourism and the increase of upscale national chain stores in downtown Savannah has begun to increase rents and force local

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businesses to close their doors or move to more affordable locations. Ben Carter’s recent developments along Broughton Street demonstrate that these changes are taking place at a surprisingly rapid rate. There is going to be a need for lower rents on commercial spaces in Savannah so that local businesses can continue to thrive. If Waters Avenue is improved and revitalized, the district will have the potential to attract local businesses that cannot afford the rents of downtown Savannah. Revitalizing the district would have the potential for economic improvement to Savannah and to business owners, as well has potentially improving the quality of life of residents in the neighborhood.

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CHAPTER 1 - HISTORICAL CONTEXT OVERVIEW Although Waters Avenue does not share the same timeframe of history as Savannah’s downtown Historic District, the street is still historically significant. The Waters Avenue corridor is a cultural landscape that has been shaped by the historical development of the city of Savannah. Early settlement patterns, transportation, the rise and fall of commercialism have all left their mark in shaping the way the street appears today.

Waters Avenue runs North to South on the east side of downtown Savannah. The street is bound on the north by Wheaton and continues south for several miles, all the way to the suburban south-side of Savannah. The street lies approximately halfway in between downtown Savannah and the Truman Parkway, which is a controlled access highway that runs parallel to Waters Avenue. For the purposes of downtown revitalization, the focus area of this street will be a 1.1 mile segment between Gwinnett Street and Victory Drive. (see figure 1) This segment of Waters Avenue is, and has, for the most part of history, been a mixed-use community. There is both residential and commercial space that occupies the street. The streets running east to west which intersect Waters are residential streets. Since people live close to the commercial spaces and the area is walkable, it does follow the traditional pattern of “Main Street.” However, the high amount of vacant commercial spaces makes the neighborhood currently lack the sense of a Main Street.

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Figure 1. Map of target area in relation to downtown Savannah, GA.

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EARLY DEVELOPMENT The initial English settlement of Savannah began in 1733 by James Oglethorpe.

Upon landing on a high bluff above the Savannah River, Oglethorpe began to lay out the town. Oglethorpe’s original plan was a ward system with building lots surrounded by central squares. The city was surrounded with a town common, and then garden lots and farm lots.1 Waters Avenue was developed much later than Oglethorpe’s original settlement, and does not follow the original town plan around central squares. However, Oglethorpe’s plan did influence the later development of the street by setting up a system of wards and influencing the orientation of the street grid.

1

Luciana Spracher, When The Meadows Became Van Clark (Savannah: 2004), 2-3.

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In Savannah’s early days, the Waters Avenue corridor was swampy, sparselypopulated farm land. A map from 1812 labels one of the landholders in this area as “Waters”, which is likely where the name of the street originated.2 By 1854, the city of Savannah pushed its boundary eastwards to extend to Waters Avenue, and by 1868, a road labeled “Waters Road” had appeared.3 At this time, the area was still very sparsely populated because of the swampy landscape. A canal system draining the swampy eastern portion of Savannah was implemented in 1876, which allowed much of the land east of East Broad Street to be developed.4 As the city of Savannah grew, development along Waters Avenue initially began at the north and gradually moved towards the south.. Imagery from Sanborn Insurance Company Maps show that in 1898, the street was mostly comprised of wood frame dwellings.5 (see figure 2) The highest concentration of these houses was at the north end of the street near its intersection with Wheaton Street. The 1898 map shows development on Waters reaching southwards to Anderson Street. The number of buildings that are on Waters Avenue dissipate towards the south, with a majority of residential development occurring on the east-west streets. 1916 Sanborn maps show a much higher concentration of buildings on Waters Avenue. A mixture of residential, commercial, and light industrial 2

Thomas Gable, Jr., A History of the Government of Savannah, Georgia, from 1790 to 1901, (Savannah: Savannah City Council, 1900), 29; “City of Savannah” (1812), M5 1018 Waring Map Collection, Vol. 2, Plate 12, GHS. 3

Luciana Spracher, When The Meadows Became Van Clark (Savannah: 2004), 6-7.

4

Ibid.

5

“Savannah 1898.” Sanborn Map.

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uses are represented, and development by this time had reached southwards to Victory.

Overlays glued to the maps show additional commercial development which increased during the following three decades. (see figure 3)

Figure 2: 1898 Sanborn maps, showing a higher concentration of buildings on the North end

Figure 3: 1916 Sanborn maps, showing imagery of Waters avenue between 37th and Victory, with a higher concentration of buildings as well as overlays of commercial spaces added after 1916.

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TRANSPORTATION BRINGS COMMERCIALIZATION The development of the Waters Avenue corridor at the turn of the 20th century was due to the rise of the electric streetcar as transportation. The streetcar gave life to some of the first suburbs in Savannah, as people living in town were able to move further away from the city center. Many of these people were seeking the space that the outskirts of the city provided, but still had the convenience of streetcar travel to quickly reach intown services. According to the Savannah Morning News in 1892: The extended limits of the city south, east, and west are building up at a remarkable pace and the places known only a short time once as the suburban commons are becoming young towns. The extension of the street railways is what has brought about these gratifying results.6 Real estate companies during the turn of the century used the streetcars as a way to develop the land and turn a profit. The company typically put in the tracks and divided the land on the outskirts of town, which drew residences and businesses out along the streetcar lines.7 The same appears to be true for Waters Avenue. A schedule of the Electric Railway Company, published in the 1895 city directory, states a specific streetcar route that left the city market in downtown Savannah and went south on Waters Avenue between Anderson Street and present day Victory Drive before connecting with the Isle of

6 7

Savannah Morning News, September 3, 1892.

Mary Beth Alonzo. Streetcars of Chatham County: Photographs from the Collection of the Georgia Historical Society. (Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 1999).

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Hope Railroad.8 A later photograph from 1931 shows the intersection of Waters Avenue and Bolton Street, with streetcar tracks running down Bolton, but not on this portion of Waters. (see figure 4) Several small businesses are located at the intersection, although automobiles were also a major factor of urban transportation by this time.

Figure 4: Intersection of Waters Avenue and Bolton Street, with streetcar tracks on Bolton.

Augusta K. Corday, photographer. “Waters Avenue at Bolton Street” Photograph. Savannah.

1931. From Georgia Historical Society: Foltz Photographic Studio, 1899-1960

The personal automobile transformed the way American cities grew and developed. Automobiles provided freedom from laid tracks and timed schedules, to those who could afford it. Savannah embraced this new form of transportation relatively early in its history. A postcard from 1911 shows that a portion of Waters Avenue, slightly south

8

“Savannah City Directory, 1891,” (Savannah: The Morning News Print, 1895) 57.

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of the target area, was used as part of the racecourse for the Vanderbilt Cup.9 (see figure 5) This race was considered to be “of international interest and importance” at the time, and demonstrates that Savannah embraced the new technology. The rise of Savannah’s Automobile suburbs of Ardsley Park and Chatham Crescent to the target area’s immediate south reinforce this idea, and are the results of another wave of suburbanization. Waters Avenue, once a suburb on the outskirts of town, now acted as an automobile thoroughfare between downtown and the new suburbs. During this time period in Waters Avenue’s history, rapid expansion of businesses occurred.

Figure 5: Waters Avenue as part of the racecourse for the Vanderbilt Cup

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“Waters Road - Automobile Race Course.” Photograph. Savannah. 1910. http:// www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/then_now_1911_vanderbilt_cup_race_course_waters_street_savannah

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WATERS’ ECONOMIC HEYDAY The commercialization of the early 20th century gave Waters Avenue a unique character as a walkable traditional “main street” located slightly outside of the downtown area. Figure 6 shows four historic photographs businesses located within the target area.

These photos were taken between 1935 and 1950, during Waters Avenue’s commercial heyday. Two particularly compelling photographs show an automobile service station and an early example (1946) of a suburban-style shopping center. These businesses demonstrate that Waters Avenue embraced early automobile travel and benefitted economically from it.

Figure 6: Historical photographs taken between 1935 and 1950 of businesses in the target area. Images were collected from the Georgia Historical Society’s Digital Image Catalog

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It is also interesting to point out that the makeup of the neighborhood before its economic downturn during the second half of the 20th century. The target area was part of a neighborhood that was economically and socially mixed. There was a mixture of African American and white residents, a mix of home owners and renters, and a mix of working class and professionals.10 An archaeological study showed that people living near Waters avenue in the early 20th century were “fully integrated into the commercial economy of the City of Savannah, and relied almost entirely on goods purchased from stores.�11 Many of the items that these residents owned, which were found on the archaeological dig, were likely purchased at retail stores on Waters Avenue.

Archaeological evidence from commercial locations shows signs that the businesses on Waters avenue were often cultural gathering spots for the neighborhood. Discarded animal bones and Coca-Cola bottles discovered in front of retail locations show that people were likely gathering and socializing in addition to solely buying goods.

Businesses acting as a community gathering place were part of Waters Avenue’s intangible cultural heritage. This aspect has carried over into the present day, with the few shops that remain open. Just like during the early 20th century, people still gather in front of businesses to socialize, eat and drink.

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10

Working Class Savannah: Studying the Waters Avenue Neighborhood through Historical Archaeology. Atlanta, Georgia: TRC, 2006.

11

Ibid.

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Figure 7: Rise and fall of commercial activity within the target area

With an increase in transportation, an increase of commercialization along Waters Avenue occurred during the first half of the 20th century. A collection of data from City Directories shows how the number of active businesses in the target area have risen and fallen during the last century. (see figure 7) The data collected tells a great deal about the history of commercial activity along Waters Avenue. The number of businesses prior to the 1920s, the timeframe associated with the streetcars was relatively low. However, once the automobile became popular, the commercialization along the Waters Avenue corridor boomed. Although growth was slightly slowed, the area even continued to gain businesses during the depression years

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between 1930 and 1940. The postwar era also showed a period of booming business, and the number of businesses peaks in 1950 with a total of 91 businesses. After 1950 and continuing to the present day, there has been a steady decline in the number of active businesses within the target area.

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A NEIGHBORHOOD IN ECONOMIC DECLINE Suburbanization was not new to cities during the 1950s, but at that time, the scale was increased to sprawl. This change in cities which had a detrimental effect on commercial areas closer to the city, and figure 6 shows that effect in a clear, graphical form. The Civil Rights movement also created racial tension across the country. In Savannah, this led to a “mass movement of upper class white residents from the downtown suburbs towards the south side and island suburbs, creating a segregated community that for the most part had been a very integrated area.”12 As wealthier citizens moved out, the businesses followed. Small grocery stores which once lined Waters Avenue were phased out by large-scale supermarkets and shopping centers. By the 1980s, most of the people left behind on Waters avenue were “the elderly who did not want to leave and those who couldn’t afford to leave.”13 The persistent economic decline on Waters Avenue during the latter half of the 20th century had a huge impact on the community today. The abandonment and

12

Luciana Spracher, When The Meadows Became Van Clark (Savannah: 2004), 176.

13

Ibid. 177

14

Figure 8: undated photograph, likely from the 1940s, which shows a building at the intersection of Waters Avenue and 31st street.!

Figure 9: By 2007 the property was a vacant storefront which resulted from the population and economic shift over the previous 50 years.!

Dixie Studio, photographer. Konter’s Market.

Photograph. Savannah, c1940. Savannah.

From Georgia Archives: Vanishing Georgia. web.

Savannah, GA. Google Maps Street View.

2007. Google. Web.

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dilapidation of buildings following the economic downturn was cause for some residents to move away from the area. One resident was interviewed, and stated that “a lot of the people moved away, because of the buildings, they were run down.”14 Historic photographs show the progression of a property within the target area which echoes the simultaneous downturn of the Waters Avenue corridor. (Figures 8, 9, and 10) Figure 8, an undated photograph which was likely from the 1940s, shows the property during Waters Avenue’s commercial prosperity.15 There are cars and bicycles on the street as well as signs of economic activity within the store. Figure 9, an image from Google Maps street view, shows that by 2007 the property was a vacant storefront which resulted from the population and economic shift over the

14

Gladys Turner, Benjamin Van Clark Neighborhood Oral History Collection Project. #19.

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previous 50 years. Figure 10 shows a more recent photograph of the property which has been demolished to create a vacant lot on Waters Avenue.

During the last 30 years, some attempts have been made to alleviate the symptoms of the economic downtown and revitalize the district. During the 1980s, the city zoned much of the target area to prohibit alcohol sales. The area had seen a rise in crime and the city attributed the crime to people loitering and drinking on the street.16 That zoning was overturned during the following decade, however as recently as 2008, the city has attempted to change the zoning of the area to prohibit alcohol sales for the same reason.17

Figure 10: The property has been demolished and is currently a vacant lot.!

Savannah, GA. Google Maps Street View. 2014. Google. Web. 16

Pureterrar Witcher. “Waters Avenue Redevelopment Means Curbing Alcohol Proliferation,� The Business Report & Journal, August 25, 2008.

17

Ibid.

16

Other efforts by the city to revitalize the area have included business loan programs, tax credits, infrastructure improvements provided by a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, and investment in business development through the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center. Although some attempts have been made to revitalize the area, most have not had a substantial impact on the area.

Although money is being put in to the district for improvements, the target area is still in a severe economic slump. It seems that projects closer to the city center have taken precedence over Waters Avenue in terms of funding and attention. Waters Avenue has been formed and shaped by its unique history. The steps that the city and the community take during the present and the near future could determine if that unique history is preserved through restoring economic activity back to the district.

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CHAPTER 2 - CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD SITUATION OVERVIEW Although Waters Avenue was once a bustling business corridor, a view of the street today shows signs of a historic commercial district in distress. There are some indications of the street’s heyday, but the signs of the neighborhood’s gradual economic downtown of the past 50 years have grown to dominate the contemporary landscape along Waters Avenue. Hopefully, future revitalization efforts will be able to alleviate many of these problems.

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ANALYZING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS Maps and statistical data provide insight on many social and economic factors in the area. The target area of Waters Avenue has the reputation of being an impoverished, but this is not necessarily the case. A map of the median household income shows that the target area certainly does not have as much wealth as Ardsley Park or downtown. (See figure 11) However, there are two large portions of the target area that have household incomes well above the city average of $33,167. The west side of Waters between Victory and 38th has a median income of $48,148, and the east side of Waters between 34th and 38th has a median income of $46,050. The northern parts of the target area have significantly lower household incomes, with the lowest being $15,679 on the east side of Waters between Bolton Street and Henry Street. Most of the home values in the surrounding neighborhood are below the city average of $140,600. The only exception

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being the western portion of Waters Avenue between Victory and 38th, which has a slightly larger home value of $148,596.1 Maps with racial demographics show that the neighborhood surrounding Waters Avenue is currently a majority African American neighborhood. (See figure 12) Over 90% of the residents on the blocks immediately bound by waters are African American.

The same map shows a clear racial divide within the neighborhood. Victory drive, the southern boundary of the target area, separates the primarily African American neighborhood on the north from the primarily white neighborhood on the south.

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Figure 11. City-data map showing median household income, with purple demonstrating higher income.

Target area is outlined in Green.

1

Figure 12. City-data map showing African American populations, with purple demonstrating higher percentages of African American residents. Target area is outlined in Green.

"Savannah, Georgia." City Data. Accessed February 14, 2015. http://www.citydata.com/city/Savannah-Georgia.html.

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SITE OBSERVATIONS An on-site observation shows an interesting perspective on the target area.

Looking at maps or driving through the might give an impression of a walkable neighborhood, because there are commercial spaces are very close to residential sections.

However, a walk down the street shows that the street is not as walkable as it seems. The sidewalk is rough and uneven and the crosswalks are flooded even for several days after rainfall. The street is full of empty lots and vacant buildings, which discourage people from walking down the street. A high number of vacant lots make a walk through the neighborhood seem longer and uneventful. Additionally, vacant lots and vacant buildings are magnets for crime, since they are widely un-patrolled. Criminal activity, or the perception of criminal activity, that is associated with vacant buildings and lots discourage pedestrian activity on Waters Avenue. Although walkability along waters is not as developed as it could be, many people still walk along the street between businesses and residences. Bicycle, automobile, and bus traffic is also currently present on the street.

Many historic commercial spaces are vacant and deteriorating, while the immediate residential areas are well maintained. The quality of the commercial buildings in the district are not the problem — there are many significant commercial buildings along the street dating from the early to mid 20th century. There are several examples of streamline moderne architecture along the street, which emerged in the 1930s and was popular up through the 1950s. One commercial space on the corner of Waters avenue and

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40th street is a streamline moderne building which is vacant, but still standing. (See figure 13) The corner of the building is a large curve that contains the entrance, and the exterior is a smooth stucco finish with light blue tile accents. Another streamline moderne building, currently being used as a restaurant, was part of an early 1940s shopping center.

(See figure 14 & 15) Half of the original shopping center has been demolished. A building at the corner of Waters and 42nd has an elegant art deco facade. (See figure 16) Contemporary curtain walls show that the building was likely recently renovated, and signs indicate that a law office is located within the building. However, there are not signs of activity in or around the building, and the facade is beginning to show signs of

Figure 13. Streamline moderne building located at the corner of Waters Avenue and 40th Street.

Figure 14. Streamline moderne shopping center. The left portion of the building is a restaurant, and the right is vacant.

Figure 15. Foltz Photography Studio, photographer. “1908 Waters Avenue�

1946, photograph. from: Georgia Historical Society, Digital Image Catalog

Figure 16. Streamline moderne shopping center. The left portion of the building is a restaurant, and the right is vacant.

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minor deterioration. In fact, there are many commercial spaces along Waters Avenue that have business signage but are difficult to determine whether or not a business is actively located within. This conflicting information can leave a pedestrians and potential customers with a sense of confusion.

Although many of the commercial buildings are not actively being used, there are still businesses and neighborhood gathering spaces along Waters Avenue. There are a large number of religious institutions, including several churches and a community center for the Baha’i faith. Several local restaurants, small bars, and lounges are operating in the area as well. A barber school and multiple barber shops are active businesses along the street as well. During a site visit, a yard sale was taking place on a vacant lot that once contained a commercial building. Presently, the most active businesses seem to be those associated with car culture. Businesses with the most amount of human activity during the site visit included gas stations, car washes, and convenience stores. Unfortunately, convenience stores might be where the most impoverished nearby residents have access to foods. A meat and seafood market is present along Waters Avenue, but there are no grocery or produce stores for residents to buy affordable, nutrient-rich foods.

Waters Avenue still has a unique identity to those who presently live or work in the area. Restaurants, Lounges, and religious cultural centers all serve as places of gathering and socialization. Several buildings in the area have vibrant paint colors, which provide a very appealing contrast to the abandoned commercial spaces or vacant lots.

Many businesses have a tradition of hand painted signs. Bright colors are also present in

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the paint colors of these signs, as well as stylized versions of the commercial products sold within stores. Hand-painted script fonts which are seen on these signs is seen all along Waters avenue and other parts of the city of Savannah. It could be argued that these images and text, hand painted by business owners and community members, are a culturally significant vernacular art form. (See figures 17 & 18)

Figure 17. An example of a hand painted sign, depicting images of commercial items that can be purchased at this specific store.

Figure 18. Another example of a hand painted sign, which is very common among Waters Avenue businesses.

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CRIME AND PERCEPTIONS To many Savannahians, Waters Avenue has a reputation for being a high crime area. In the recent past, this perception of criminal activity has certainly been a barrier to redeveloping the area. Just like in most urban neighborhoods, crime is certainly present along Waters Avenue. However, crime statistics how that the impression of Waters Avenue having an unusually high concentration of criminal activity is simply a

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perception, and not a reality. (See figure 19) This map from the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police shows a density map of crime statistics over the last year. Crimes like robbery, burglary, theft, aggravated assault, and motor vehicle theft have been present along Waters Avenue in the past year. However, the crime density map shows that the crime along Waters is not unusually high in relation to other parts of downtown Savannah. The south end of the target area has relatively low crime density for the city of Savannah. Other parts of town, including the metropolitan district and downtown, have much higher crime density than Waters Avenue. Although downtown has a much higher crime density than Waters, it has still attracted recent development, especially along Broughton Street.

Figure 19. Crime density map from the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police, with areas of higher density of crime in red and lower density of crime in blue. The target area is outlined with a dashed line.

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PAST REVITALIZATION ATTEMPTS The city has recognizes that Waters is in need of revitalization and has been making piecemeal attempts to do so. One specific concern with the area, as addressed by business owners and residents, has been with the area’s flooding following rainfall. Bret Bell, a city spokesperson, responded and said that a $14 million dollar project to improve drainage for the “Bilbo Box” has been planned and will help with drainage issues along Waters Avenue and other eastside neighborhoods.2 This drainage project is being funded by the SPLOST, or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which is a 1% sales tax within the city of Savannah. The city website states that the project is still in the design phase. It seems that currently, the city is interested in cosmetic changes bringing about neighborhood revitalization. The city’s website also states that $1.5 million dollars are being used to install ornamental lighting, brick sidewalks, and pedestrian crosswalks.3 Although it is listed as a “project in progress”, no signs of installation of streetscape improvements were witnessed during a site visit.These improvements are being funded by the SPLOST. According to the website, over $3 million of SPLOST dollars have gone towards streetscape improvements along MLK. Perhaps the city is more focused on revitalization along MLK because it is much more visible to tourists in the city who stay in the downtown Historic District.

2

Eric Curl. "City Moving Forward with Waters Avenue Improvements." Savannah Morning News, August 22, 2013.

3

“SPLOST.” Savannah, GA. Accessed Fabruary 5, 2015. http://www.savannahga.gov/ index.aspx?NID=1300

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Although these improvements will certainly help with the Waters Avenue’s walkability and nighttime safety, more efforts will need to be undertaken to revitalize the neighborhood. According to the East Savannah Gateway Transformation Plan by the Housing Authority of Savannah: “Recognizing the unique character and potential of Waters Avenue, the City has committed to streetscape improvements and marked the corridor for potential long-term streetcar transit. New housing associated with the Ashley Midtown HOPE VI has stabilized the north end, and a planned adaptive reuse of the Romana Riley School into senior apartments will improve and activate the East Anderson / East Henry commercial node. Continued investment in rehabilitation and small business development is key to transforming the larger Gateway, which Waters Avenue bi-sects.”4 While the improvements currently being made by the city are a good start for the Waters Avenue corridor, it is vital to recognize measures must be taken to help small business development along Waters Avenue so that vacant commercial spaces can be utilized again.

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4

East Savannah Gateway Transformation Plan. Housing Authortity of Savannah, 2014.

12. http://www.eastsavannahgateway.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/East-SavannahGateway-Tranformation-Plan-FINAL_052014update1.pdf

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CHAPTER 3 - FUTURE REVITALIZATION STRATEGIES OVERVIEW There are currently several businesses and residents located along the Waters Avenue corridor, but the area has declined from the commercial hub that it used to be and descended into a state of higher vacancy and disrepair. As formerly stated in chapter 2, there are many issues with the target area that could be improved. These issues include uneven sidewalks, drainage problems, inadequate lighting, underutilized commercial buildings, a high amount of vacant lots, the lack of a grocery store, and negative perceptions of the neighborhood by people who do not live there. The city of Savannah is addressing some of these issues, but there is a substantial gap which must be bridged.

Although a challenging feat, a true revitalization of Waters Avenue must address all of the issues and work with the stakeholders in order to make the corridor a better place to work and live.

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SOLUTION 1- ENHANCEMENT OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION Community involvement is vital for a successful neighborhood revitalization. If top-down plans are made to revitalize the street and the wants and needs of the residents and stakeholders are not taken into consideration, it will only result in conflicts. There are many stakeholders for the revitalization of Waters Avenue including property owners, business owners, and the city. While there are currently organizations in place for individual stakeholder groups, there is not a significant amount of conversation occurring

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among the parties. If the city plans a revitalization attempt in the future, improving communication lines between parties will be vital.

Since Waters Avenue is a boundary line for many neighborhoods, there are several neighborhood associations to consider, including the Midtown Neighborhood Association, the Baldwin Park Neighborhood Association, and the combined neighborhood association belonging to the Eastside, Benjamin Van Clark, and Live Oak neighborhoods. The Waters Avenue Business Association is a nonprofit organization that represents the business owners in the area. The city should reach out to these stakeholder groups to create smoother communication between all three parties in the form of a public forums or meetings. If all parties come together, it will be a way to unite grassroots interests in revitalization and make sure all voices are heard. Establishing an online forum can also be a way to including the voices of younger generations or people who cannot find the time to come to meetings. The resources necessary for this solution involve a small amount of planning and funding, on the city’s behalf.

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SOLUTION 2 - SPECIAL EVENTS Utilizing special events could be a way to attract Savannahians to experience Waters Avenue. Establishing a similar event similar could showcase the positive aspects of Waters Avenue and help to change people’s perceptions about the area. An infrequent event, perhaps bi-monthly, could potentially showcase local culture including food, music, and arts. These cultural assets are already available on Waters Avenue. Restaurants

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featuring local cuisine, artists studios, and a Jazz and Blues Lounge all lie within the project boundary. Bringing these different aspects of Waters Avenue together for a special event one night every few months could be a wonderful way to showcase what Waters Avenue has to offer. This type of event could also be a way to temporarily activate the empty lots that used to contain commercial buildings. The city currently owns several consecutive plots of vacant land on the southwest corner of Waters Avenue and Anderson Street, which could be an ideal place to set up event booths for information, food, artists, or other local vendors. (see figure 20)

Figure 20. Series of city-owned vacant lots, outlined in red, which could be utilized for an event space.

There are several resources necessary for this event, including funding and time for planning and executing the event, as well as space to host it. One similar special event

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that already takes place in Savannah is the First Friday Art March, which showcases the arts and creative businesses in the Starland district south of Forsyth Park. (see figure 21) The event has become very successful and draws a lot of attention to the growing neighborhood. On the First friday website, sponsors for the event include the city of Savannah, the Georgia Council for the Arts, the National Endowment for the arts, as well as several local businesses and newspapers.1 The event is organized by Art Rise Savannah, a nonprofit organization committed to providing creative and financial opportunities to local artists. To make an event like this be successful on Waters Avenue, making similar partnerships will be crucial to funding the project and ensuring its continued success.

Figure 21: The First Friday Art March has been a way to enliven the streets, showcase the neighborhoods positive aspects, and given local vendors an economic opportunity.

1

"First Friday Art March." Accessed March 2, 2015. http://artmarchsavannah.com/.

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SOLUTION 3 - COMMUNITY MARKET Establishing an occasional, temporary community market could have several positive impacts on the area. First, it would be a way to make nutritional produce available to residents. Currently, there is no grocery store within the project site. While the city of Savannah is currently trying to find a grocery store to become a tenant in the shopping center located at the corner of Waters Avenue and 37th, the community market could be a less expensive and temporary to bridge the gap until a more permanent grocery store moves into the neighborhood. Additionally, the market could provide spaces that could be incubators for local entrepreneurs who cannot initially afford rent of a commercial space. There is a need for this along Waters Avenue - during site visits, informal open-air commercial activities were taking place. If these spaces were offered during an open-air farmers market, which could also attract more customers, an increase in profit could potentially allow entrepreneurs to make enough money to transition into a more permanent location.

Establishing a temporary farmers market could also take place on the city-owned vacant lots shown in figure 1, which could be offered to vendors at little to no cost, with city cooperation. However, there would be a cost to the city associated with cleaning up and maintaining the empty lots. Currently, there is a mobile version of the Forsyth Farmers Market, called Farm Truck 912, which is sponsored financially by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s Live Well Be Well initiative. The truck delivers fresh local produce to different low-income locations around town, and accepts and double SNAP

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and EBT benefits. One of these stops is at the WW Law Community Center, located on Bolton street immediately west of the project site. It would be beneficial to reach out to Farm Truck 912 and ask them to consider setting up a stop along Waters Avenue, and potentially build partnerships grow a larger farmers market.

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SOLUTION 4 - URBAN DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS There are many issues along Waters Avenue that could be addressed through design improvements. The city has currently funded SPLOST dollars to build ornamental lighting, brick sidewalks, and pedestrian crosswalks within the target area. Although these projects are not yet underway, they will make vast improvements within the commercial corridor. All of the streetscape improvements will have a positive impact on the pedestrian experience. An improvement of street lighting will have a positive impact on the safety of the street at night. Another problem with the area involves post-rain flooding. The city has also allotted SPLOST funds to finance a project to improve drainage for Eastside neighborhoods, including Waters Avenue, which will supposedly alleviate the issue. Neither of these projects have taken place yet, but it will be crucial for the city to follow through with these plans in order to revitalize the neighborhood.

Accommodating transportation is crucial to the area. Parking is noted as an issue along the street, but the problem is more of a perception than a reality. Although Waters Avenue is narrow and does not provide substantial on-street parking, there is ample street parking on the residential streets intersecting Waters, and a multitude of large parking

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lots. There has been talk about reintroducing a streetcar to Savannah which will potentially run along Waters Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. However, these would be massively expensive for the city and would not pay for itself through ticket sales. More feasible options for improving transit connectivity would be to improve the bus and bike experience. There are 9 CAT bus stops along the target area, but very few benches or shade shelters by the bus stops. Adding these amenities could help improve the bus-riding experience and entice more people to take public transit.

Accommodating cyclists could also be valuable asset to Waters Avenue. Site visits have shown many cyclists passing through the street. The target area is a cycling thoroughfare between surrounding residential areas on the East, West, and South, and is also connected to nearby Daffin Park. Adding unique decorative bike racks along Waters Avenue could convince cyclists to stop along the corridor and visit local businesses.

Another improvement could be the addition of a bike lane. The road currently seems too narrow to support a bike lane. However, it has this perception because there are occasionally cars that are street-parked along Waters Avenue. There does not seem to be enough room for street parking — cars in travel lanes have to maneuver partially into lanes of oncoming traffic to avoid hitting street-parked cars. Perhaps a better option would be to forbid street parking on Waters Avenue by painting the curbs yellow and directing cars to park either on side streets or in larger parking lots. If this was undertaken, there would be room for a bike lane so cyclists could safely share the road with automobiles. If a safe bike lane and bike racks were introduced to the target area, a

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greater number of cyclists would ride through the area, which could potentially attract more commercial activity. However, these improvements would require monetary resources through the city.

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SOLUTION 5 - INCREASING FUNDING All of these improvements could help to revitalize the neighborhood, but are not possible without capital. Although the city of Savannah can help to fund some improvements along Waters Avenue, they cannot fund the entire revitalization of the district, since they have to balance a budget for the needs of the entire city. There are several strategies that could be made to help secure funding for revitalization attempts within the target area.

Most of the target area currently lies outside of any National Register Historic District. Only the north and south extremities lie within districts. Unfortunately, the bulk of in-tact commercial architecture lies in the middle. Because of this, they are not eligible for the 20% Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Many of the historic commercial spaces also do not qualify for the 10% historic tax credit, since it does not apply to buildings built after 1936. Most of the commercial spaces along Waters Avenue were built shortly after this time period. If the remaining parts of the district were listed as a National Register Historic District, tax credits could help to incentivize outside development and rehabilitate existing commercial buildings. One possibility could be establishing a partnership between the city and Savannah College of Art and Design. Students of

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Historic Preservation and Architectural History could gain experience in researching and nominating a district to the National Register, and the city would benefit from their work.

Reaching out to the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) in regards to their revolving fund could also be beneficial to help secure funding. HSF’s revolving fund has saved over 350 historic buildings in Savannah. This process involves HSF’s acquisition of properties through donations, options, or purchase. Then, the building is stabilized and sold to a preservation-minded buyer with protective covenants attached to the deed.

Currently, HSF only uses its revolving fund for buildings located within one of Savannah’s National Register districts. If the neighborhood is nominated to the National Register, the Historic Savannah Foundation could likely use its revolving fund to help find investors to rehabilitate the commercial spaces along Waters Avenue.

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EXPECTED RESULTS With the changes suggested, a livelier Waters Avenue will result. Increasing available funding to rehabilitate historic commercial buildings could create more spaces for local businesses to operate. Increasing communication between stakeholders will allow revitalization efforts to encompass multiple viewpoints and involve more people.

Occasional special events and a farmers market could showcase the positive aspects of Waters Avenue and change people’s perceptions of the neighborhood while drawing attention from locals in nearby neighborhoods. Urban design improvements could improve the circulation spaces along the corridor and make walking and transportation

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more pleasant. With all of these combined solutions, a more active business corridor should be a result.

Economic activity will take place in the district again, and local residents will be able to utilize commercial spaces close to home. The neighborhood could cultivate entrepreneurship as small business owners would have a more affordable place to set up restaurants, shops, or businesses away from the expensive and tourist-oriented downtown Landmark District. There will be more people walking along the street, and an increase in human eyes will allow for natural surveillance to further reduce crime in the area. The neighborhood could provide an affordable place to live, work, and buy commercial goods. Currently, neither downtown Savannah nor the suburbs can offer that. Waters Avenue, lying between downtown and the suburbs, could be the ideal setting for a renaissance of this closely tied commercial and residential community.

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Working Class Savannah: Studying the Waters Avenue Neighborhood through Historical Archaeology. Atlanta, Georgia: TRC, 2006.

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Curl, Eric. "City Moving Forward with Waters Avenue Improvements." Savannah Morning News, August 22, 2013.

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East Savannah Gateway Transformation Plan. Housing Authortity of Savannah, 2014. 12. http:// www.eastsavannahgateway.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/East-Savannah-GatewayTranformation-Plan-FINAL_052014update1.pdf

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Georgia Archives, University System of Georgia Dixie Studio, photographer. “Konter’s Market.” Photograph. Savannah, c1940.

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