logo
Savannah Area Chamber travels to Charleston to talk regional growth

Savannah Area Chamber travels to Charleston to talk regional growth

Yahoo06-03-2025

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce traveled to Charleston Thursday to discuss the growing pains of tourism in the two cities.
Leaders explored how communities can collaborate to address the challenges of growth when a major economic development comes to the area. The two cities are twins in many ways with their ports, airports, downtown trolleys, and tourism.
Joint Development and Regional Growth
Savannah area leaders, similar to Charleston, say they're taking a regional approach to growth. According to Tim Keane, Chief of Planning, Permitting, and Engineering with Charleston, planning regionally
'Many people think of us as the same place, and we're not obviously, but there are things that we do share,' Keane said. 'The ports, airports, tourism and transportation are all similarities.'
Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) CEO Jesse Dillon and Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE) President and CEO Anna Chafin both talked about the need for more industry in our area which led to the recruitment of the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County.
Transportation Needs
Congestion on the roadways is a part of growth, panelists said. Transportation was also a major discussion point, leaders taking a closer look at travel improvements, including rapid bus service designed to connect the workforce with manufacturing, and its funding sources when a sale tax referendum does not pass.
Savannah Area Chamber members and guests traveled to North Charleston on the Amtrak train. Mayor Van Johnson noted improvements that could be made to the Savannah station, comparing it to the much more updated space in Charleston.
Charleston created a city transportation plan in 2018, with funding from a half cent transportation sales tax. Charleston Councilman Michael Seekings applauded a joint transit project called Lowcountry Rapid Transit, 21.3 miles of infrastructure and improvements. Seekings says they anticipate 7,600 daily riders on the line, which is a 70-minute end-to-end travel time.
'Before, it was all about roads,' Reveer Group President and CEO Rhett Reidenbach said. 'Today, roads are very unpopular. With the growth, people are more worried about green space being impacted.'
Savannah is working on its own transportation plan, called 'Savannah Moves', according to Chief of Planning and Economic Development Faye DiMassimo. In 2023, Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Board of Directors approved the Master Transit Plan, an investment strategy from 2024-2050.
'We've got the tools in our tool kit to do great things,' DiMassimo said.
Tourism and Quality of Life
Speakers also explored the intersection of tourism, booming sports interest and quality of life, discussing how to balance economic growth with community well-being and sustainability.
North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess touched on this when welcoming the chamber members to the Amtrak station, saying leaders need to put the citizens first and work with them.
Childcare, workforce, affordable housing and infrastructure funding are four main points of investment for Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), according to Board Member Jason Brown.
Housing challenges
Another panel takes a deep dive into developing housing in the booming economic region and the challenges such as land and construction costs, infrastructure demands and affordable options to accommodate a growing workforce.
Charleston Home Builders Association Adrian Cain says homes aren't being built fast enough, leading to rent and home prices doubling and tripling. The median home price is over $500,000, according to Zillow. Cain added that the average first time home buyer isn't able to live where they work.
'I think housing is the largest existential threat to our area,' Cain said. 'What we do not do a good job of is connecting rooftops, jobs, and roads… We can and must do better.'
In Savannah, the case is a little better. The median home price is over $319,000, according to Zillow.
Housing Savannah Laura Lane McKinnon shared that many people find it difficult to understand housing initiatives and techniques. They've had several collaborative meeting with developers to receive feedback from community members.
Cain also mentioned that there's room for housing if governments take a closer look at zoning and empty buildings that could be developed into homes.
A spokesperson with the Savannah Area Chamber tells News 3, they look to continue city to city collaboration to learn from other officials in areas with booming growth.
This is a developing story.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This Popular Amtrak Line Is on the Brink of Closure—What to Know
This Popular Amtrak Line Is on the Brink of Closure—What to Know

Travel + Leisure

timean hour ago

  • Travel + Leisure

This Popular Amtrak Line Is on the Brink of Closure—What to Know

It may soon be the final call for a popular Southern train route. Amtrak's Heartland Flyer train line, which operates daily between Fort Worth, Texas, and Oklahoma City may soon face closure. Behind the decision to end the train route is a looming $7 million budget shortfall in funding. The Texas Department of Transportation requested the $7.05 million from the state's legislative budget, but the request was not approved, according to Amtrak. The funding helps maintain the operations of the route, along with funds from Oklahoma and ticket sales. The train departs Oklahoma City at 8:25 a.m. and arrives in Fort Worth at 12:27 p.m. The four-hour, two-minute train ride is just one hour longer than if a traveler were to drive the same route. The train makes stops in Norman, Oklahoma; Gainesville, Texas; and several other towns. 'With service that supports Texas' continued economic growth and the region's connectivity, sustaining the Heartland Flyer is essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring long term mobility in the region," Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a statement. Amtrak also points out that the service may be critical in 2026, when Dallas and Fort Worth host portions of the World Cup. The rail service says that the Heartland Flyer will provide access into the metropolitan area from surrounding communities and alleviate congestion. 'I used to work in downtown Fort Worth and we got so many customers coming in for day trips on the Flyer," one person shared in the Amtrak thread on Reddit about the service. 'Big economic hit for downtown hotels and restaurants." The Amtrak-operated service has several coach cars and amenities onboard include a cafe that serves a variety of hot breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack items. Passengers are also able to make reservations for small dogs or cats to join them on the train. Travelers who have tickets on the service should check with Amtrak for any updates and monitor Amtrak's travel advisories for the latest news on the service. More than 80,000 people purchased tickets on the Heartland Flyer in 2024, and the service also connects the region to destinations from Chicago and Los Angeles.

Amtrak ready to close NYC tunnel despite fears of possible delays, chaos from Hochul, MTA
Amtrak ready to close NYC tunnel despite fears of possible delays, chaos from Hochul, MTA

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Amtrak ready to close NYC tunnel despite fears of possible delays, chaos from Hochul, MTA

Amtrak is moving full speed ahead with tunnel closures in the city on Friday — despite pleas from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams who fear the three-year project could cause transit chaos. Amtrak leadership had a 'productive' meeting with Hochul and leaders of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Thursday, but Amtrak will still close one of two westbound train tracks in the East River Tunnel, according to Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams. 'Amtrak reassured the Governor and MTA of our commitment to minimizing impacts to passengers throughout the project,' Abrams said. The transit giant's much-maligned plan earned the ire of Long Islanders and top city and state officials over worries the closure could affect MTA trains from Queens into Penn Station. Any unforeseen construction problems may mean all access in the tunnel has to be closed off, potentially disrupting train traffic on a major regional scale, critics have argued. But Amtrak said to try to avoid delays it will provide around-the-clock engineering coverage during the outage, conduct more frequent inspections of the remaining westbound track — and strategically position rescue equipment so delays can be swiftly resolved. Hochul said Amtrak also agreed to allow third-party consultants to examine the project to determine if the second tunnel needs to be fully closed when that construction begins in the fall of 2026 and runs for 13 months. The construction on the first tunnel starting Friday will also take about 13 months, Amtrak engineers said. Hochul asked Amtrak to suspend dynamic pricing on affected train trips during the shutdown. Abrams said Amtrak is assessing the feasibility with the New York State Department of Transportation. Mayor Eric Adams jumped into the tunnel tug-of-war May 6, sending a fiery letter to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — blasting Amtrak's East River shutdown plan and demanding feds step in before commuters are left stranded and steaming. City Hall sources said Adams has been going back and forth with the White House on the shutdown, even having Randy Maestro, the first deputy mayor, make the admin's case. But ultimately, the mayor's office is letting Hochul lead the discussion. 'Top administration officials have had numerous conversations with Amtrak and the White House on this issue, and negotiations are still ongoing with the White House,' a City Hall rep said in a statement. The MTA's Long Island Railroad service uses the East River Tunnel for hundreds of trains each day. LIRR President Rob Free has tried to distance the MTA from the closure plan, calling it 'Amtrak's operation' last week — even though the MTA green-lit Amtrak's plan to close the tunnels back in October 2023. Amtrak has maintained that the full closure of the tunnels is necessary because of the extent of damages since it was walloped by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. 'Amtrak is committed to delivering for today's riders while making the long-overdue investments needed to protect service for future generations,' Abrams said.

Families can ride discounted trains to notable site for Black history in Valley
Families can ride discounted trains to notable site for Black history in Valley

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Families can ride discounted trains to notable site for Black history in Valley

Amtrak will run special trains once again to a Juneteenth event in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. It will be June 14 at Allensworth, named for the former slave who founded it in 1908. The town faded after several years due to the loss of its water supply and rail depot. Amtrak sets up a temporary platform next to what is now a state historic park. All tickets are half off for the trip, then reduced even more by Amtrak's regular discounts for children, seniors and other groups. Four southbound trains will get them there before and during the gathering, which is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and return afterward. The trip is on the San Joaquins corridor. It has five daily round trips between Bakersfield and Oakland and a sixth branching north to Sacramento. The stops on the way include Stockton, Modesto, Denair, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Hanford and Corcoran. Tickets can be purchased on the Amtrak website, which also has departure times. Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when people in Galveston, Texas, got belated word of the Emancipation Proclamation. It is now a federal holiday on June 19 each year. The town was named for Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth, who earlier had become the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. Army. Few of the old buildings remain, but the state has plans for a visitor center and other amenities. The nonprofit Friends of Allensworth is helping out. Amtrak carried just 33 passengers on its first Allensworth promotion in 2019, said an email from Tom van der List of KP Public Affairs in Sacramento. Last year brought more than 350. People who prefer to drive can go south on Highway 99 to Fresno, then south on Highway 43 to Allensworth. The Amtrak rides are free this year for certain Black students in Stockton, Tracy, Bakersfield and the Bay Area, thanks to a grant from the nonprofit Parks California. The $50,000 will support current and future trips to Juneteenth and to the annual October event marking Allensworth joining the state park system in 1974. The grant money was secured with help from the route's governing body, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. 'This grant will help elevate and expand the Visit Allensworth program, while allowing travelers to experience the benefits of public transportation through Amtrak San Joaquins,' Executive Director Stacey Mortensen said in a news release. She added that it 'will reduce access barriers to this historically and culturally significant site, allowing Black communities throughout our service corridor to connect with this cornerstone of California's rich history.' Some of the other passengers will be from a service club in Modesto. The Silver Square Lodge #66/Creators Club is calling it the 'Never Be Forgotten, Never Be Repeated Train Ride Back In Time.' More information is at 209-595-6966 or on the group's Facebook page. The Bee has details on Juneteenth observances in Modesto, Riverbank and Lathrop as part of a roundup of various events this month.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store