Preserving historic spaces is important, especially in historic cities like Savannah. Connecting with our history is something that should be central to all of us. Too often historic buildings suffer neglect and poor planning, erasing valuable bits of the historic record forever.
You can see how passionate we are about this issue.
So for this Throwback Thursday, we wanted to revisit our 2021 Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. This award recognizes significant contributions to the protection of Georgia’s historic resources. In our case, this was the rehabilitation of West Broad.
But just what did we do? Here, let’s take a look.
A Historic Space
The 300 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd (once West Broad St) is home to a unique collection of urban mercantile buildings. Originally constructed between 1910 and 1922, this block was the home to Savannah’s iconic Thrifty Supply Center hardware store for nearly 60 years. Prior to that, this block was the center of a vibrant urban district.
This district served as the hub for Savannah’s African-American business community. It provided homes for a diverse mix of small retail and commercial spaces. In the 1960s, it entered a cycle of decline following the demolition of old Union Station to make way for the I-16 interchange.
What followed was the decline of the neighborhood. Over time, the Thrifty Supply Center consolidated most of the property. Internal property lines we dissolved. Upper office spaces were converted to warehouse storage and a few residential apartments. Storefronts were replaced with concrete block walls or boarded up, and the impacts of time and disinvestment took their toll.
In 2015 Thrift Supply Center closed for good. A new owner purchased the majority of the block and the process of rehabilitation began.
Rehabilitating a Classic
There are always challenges in rehabilitating any historic building.
With this particular space, there was a huge challenge in dealing with extensive structural deterioration resulting from many decades of deferred maintenance. Many of the roofs throughout the block were close to collapse from rot and water damage. Additionally, one of the masonry facades had detached and was progressively tilting away from its supporting structure. This presented an imminent danger of façade collapse into the street.
So we went to work.
Utilizing selective and careful reinforcement and reconstruction, we were able to rehabilitate the roofs and prevent collapse. This provided increased protection for the interior and gave us the freedom to begin work inside the building. State-of-the-art structural interventions helped prevent façade collapse and stabilize them, allowing us to then work towards their full restoration.
Additionally, unique items contributing to the distinct history of this place such as signs and exterior details were painstakingly restored and preserved, connecting this building to its rich history.
A Community Impact
This restoration helped save these historic buildings from the very real possibility of permanent loss. None of these humble mercantile buildings are high-style historic architecture. Instead they are vernacular fabric buildings representing a significant portion of Savannah’s history. Tragically, buildings such as this have been largely lost over the years.
But West Broad lives on.
Now exterior storefronts have been reestablished along all three of the primary block faces. Individual retail and upper level offices make up the interior. There is even a rooftop common area and a courtyard available for event rental. New businesses are moving into the area, reinvigorating the community and providing new life to a valuable piece of Savannah history.
We’re proud of this space, of the work we’ve done to preserve this historic site, and the awards that have come as a result. To everyone involved, we owe you a tremendous thanks. One person alone never accomplishes projects like these. We couldn’t have done it without a remarkable team.
For those of you who haven’t seen the space…why not come by today and take a look at this fabulous property. We think you’ll like it.
To learn more about West Broad Savannah, please connect with us through our contact form. For leasing information contact Info@JudgeCommercial.com or call 912.236.1000.