Latest news with #EnmarketArena
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City officials approve $8 million for completion of Enmarket Arena parking
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – City leaders approved an additional $8 million for the completion of Enmarket Arena parking lot project on Thursday. The controversary started when the city asked $14 million to finish the parking lot, split between the general fund and parking fund. That request is now at $11 million, $8 million of that would go to contractors to do the work to complete the lot. That includes cleaning up contaminated soil and an additional 2,000 parking spaces. It is a project City Manager Jay Melder said the city cannot walk away from. 'Leaving the property as it currently sits could result in exposing citizens to the contamination through the effects of wind and rainfall and direct exposure, if site security is not maintained,' Melder said. Council was given three options, two of which were not recommended for financial, environmental or legal reasons. The recommended, approved plan includes removing the contaminated soil, paving the area and turn it into a paid parking to help earn some of the city's money back through fees. 'I've asked for an additional $11 million to be budgeted from capital contingency and our parking fund balance not taking from any other projects for a total of $26.8 million, which we're not projecting to spend,' Melder said. 'And then the final column is the contract modifications needed and there's one the API contract, which are construction contract at $8 million modification.' Council members agree the contaminated soil needs to be dealt with, but not everyone is on board on the parking lot solution. 'It's moments when I had a graduation and I spoke with a couple of families throughout the graduation process, and they had multiple questions of what was going on with the construction over there,' Alderman Detric Leggett said. 'So, when we told them that it was a construction for more parking spaces, everybody was elated.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City council follow-up on Enmarket Arena parking lot
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — After a heated city council meeting yesterday over the new Enmarket arena parking lot that, if completed, will be the most expensive parking lot in Georgia's history. 29 million dollars. That's how much money the City of Savannah would spend on the flat surface Enmarket Arena parking lot if the new 14-million-dollar proposal gets approved at the workshop set to take place in two weeks. 'Council members have a right to be outraged right now, and the public has a right to be outraged because we burned through $15 million so far,' Nick Palumbo District 4 Alderman said. 'The same contractor has billed us for an additional $1.9 million, which we have not paid. And the city is now recommending that we continue with the same contractor for another $14 million. I think, honestly, we need to ask whether or not they're going to be able to finish the job. What has changed on the site to render this recommendation?' According to the cities contract, they are required to remediate the site due to the soil in the area being contaminated. Palumbo said there are a lot of other less expensive ways to fulfill their obligations. 'The alternatives include we don't have a sidewalk that runs east to west from the arena to the site,' Palumbo said. 'We don't have a bike lane that runs east to west, from the arena to the site, you know, where all of the hotels and parking are downtown. We don't have a safe mobility connection that runs east to west that's there.' Palumbo said other council members agree with him that the parking lot is not needed and would add no value to the city or the patrons who call it home. 'It is in the 100-year flood plain adjacent to the Springfield Canal, surface parking produces the heat island effect, making our environment worse. And it really doesn't add any value to the community whatsoever, outside of just more convenient parking for the arena and for those arena patrons, perhaps,' Palumbo said. The workshop is set for May 22, and they will be taking a deep dive into the budget and other options available instead. We will keep you updated as we learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Savannah requests additional funding for Enmarket Arena parking project
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — On Thursday, a new request will be in the hands of city council to approve $14 million for the Enmarket Arena parking lot project. Alderman Nick Palumbo said the city is now requesting an additional $14 million to fund the completion of the Enmarket Arena parking lot project on top of the $15 million already spent. He told me its money pulled from the general fund that should be used to support other community needs. 'We haven't received very much information at all,' Palumbo said. 'Only that the cost of increased and ballooned. And we need to open this up to the public for review to find out what's happening with your tax dollars and with your money for any project.' It is a collective of $14 million dollars pulled from both the general and parking funds. Palumbo said the city is now looking at a final total of $29 million spent to fund the 'remediation and completion of the arena parking lot' leaving him with more questions than answers. 'So, the claim initially was that the $7.5 million to $15 million would be paid for by itself,' he said. 'So, parking fees that come from the parking spots as you pay to attend the arena that it would pay for itself. Well, clearly, we've exhausted that.' It is money that he said should be used for mobility solutions, housing or public safety. 'I've been asking to prioritize mobility spending and transportation options for years because currently we don't even have a sidewalk that connects on from east to west from the arena to downtown,' he said. 'No lighting implements and not even a single bike lane. We've had some improvements to Gwinnett Street and Stiles Avenue, but it's a half-baked cake. Why are we building a thousand more parking spaces in an area that's already inundated with traffic where residents are talking about how they want traffic calming measure.' The city's stormwater funding is still in limbo after FEMA announced in April the end of its BRIC program which would have given the city a $30 million dollar grant to address flooding. Palumbo told WSAV this proposal is a risky step to take. '…those are much higher priorities for us than surface parking lots in a flood prone area,' said Palumbo. 'And that's important to keep in mind. this is the area that's been identified as a flood prone area in the Springfield Canal. Impervious surfaces like surface parking lots will make the flooding worse.' He continued, 'there are some routine adjustments that happen throughout the year in the budget process at the end of the agenda to retool as we go along throughout the year. But I've never seen one this large. So certainly, it needs to be opened up for discussion in a workshop. A better explanation to the public of why we got here and why, of course, it spiraled out of control.' Palumbo urged residents to contact their city council representatives before the vote on Thursday to request consideration of community priorities before approving additional funding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chatham County holds workshop on SPLOST; showcases balance needed in crafting list
Chatham County's anticipated revenues for an eighth Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum total approximately $625 million, according to estimates from Chatham County staff. That estimate marks the budget for a list of projects that will have to include priorities for the county and each of Chatham's eight municipalities. The revenue estimate was shared Monday at a SPLOST workshop for the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, the latest sign that that this year's SPLOST planning is moving forward. Monday's workshop showed the challenges before the commissioners, however, namely adopting a project list that balances the county's with the municipalities' needs, while also making a list popular enough to be approved by voters. 'We want to put projects on the list that voters will want to come out and vote for, because the key behind all of this is if we don't get voters out, then we won't have a SPLOST,' Chatham County Manager Michael Kaigler said to the commissioners Monday. Background: SPLOST Season: Chatham County begins push for eighth penny-sales-tax referendum this November The Board of Commissioners is tasked with approving the list that ultimately ends up on the ballot for voter approval. But municipalities are also tasked with developing their own project lists, which will be presented to the Board of Commissioners. The board uses those lists to help compile the final slate of projects, ending in an intergovernmental agreement between the county and municipalities on the SPLOST's parameters. SPLOST has been a mechanism for major projects across the county. The city of Savannah has used it to build the Enmarket Arena while also investing in drainage improvements. County projects such as Memorial Stadium and Truman Parkway were also supported by SPLOST. Chatham County has seen more than $1.5 billion in investments from SPLOST, of which about 40% of the sales taxes are paid by visitors. 'People don't really realize just how much SPLOST has played in their life. You go around our community and evidence of SPLOST is all the way around,' said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson at a recent press conference. Monday's workshop featured discussion on a range of potential projects drawn from the county's capital improvements budget. The total price tag on potential county projects is $669 million. Commissioners referenced that total as an example of how the group will have to prioritize projects to fit within the expected revenues for the SPLOST collection period as well as what portion of those revenues will go toward county projects. For SPLOST 7, which is currently in its collection period, the county's projects accounted for about 40% of the project list's costs. The other 60% was distributed between the city of Savannah and other municipalities such as Pooler and Port Wentworth. 'This board is going to have to prioritize what they think is important; you can't do everything,' Kaigler said. County officials also debated potential projects and approaches to the list. District 6 Commissioner Aaron 'Adot' Whitely advocated strongly for inclusion of the indoor, multi-court sports complex, which the Board of Commissioners selected a site for late last year. District 4 Commissioner Patrick Farrell also supported the project, saying it was also a project that could build public support for the SPLOST referendum. 'That's our sexiest project we've got. It's going to be very popular, and it could also be used for public safety uses,' Farrell said. But support for the recreation facility as a top priority was not unanimous among commissioners at Monday's workshop. District 7 Commissioner Dean Kicklighter advocated for significant support of drainage and road improvements to address traffic issues, particularly on the county's booming westside. Kicklighter said the recreation facility, which will be located on the southside of Savannah, would be a tough sell for him in neighborhoods he represents such as Southbridge, which have typically opposed SPLOSTs, he said. Meanwhile, the city of Savannah is moving forward with its project-planning efforts. Johnson announced Tuesday the city is conducting public input to learn what types of projects city residents would like to fund. An online survey ( has a component that allows residents a $100 budget to prioritize certain issues, a showcase of the budgeting challenge before the governmental entities. Johnson previously said he would like to see a range of potential projects, from traffic improvements to major city initiatives. Specific issues he mentioned were traffic improvements to Highlands Boulevard and Benton Boulevard and some support for renovations to the Johnny Mercer Theatre. 'This is a very effective tool for us. I am hoping we approach it with some sense and some good judgement,' Johnson said, 'and that we create something that our residents can support.' Evan Lasseter is the city of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter. You can reach him at ELasseter@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County workshops potential project list for penny sales tax
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SPLOST Season: Chatham County begins push for eighth penny-sales-tax referendum this November
The push for a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum has begun in Chatham County. County Manager Michael Kaigler sent a letter to city managers at each of Chatham's municipalities requesting a meeting on March 31 to plan a SPLOST 8 referendum. The letter indicates the county is aiming to have SPLOST on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election. Each of the county's municipalities will develop their own project list, which then are presented to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. The commissioners ultimately approve the final, county-wide list. "I think this is my fourth SPLOST. It's delicate," said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson at a city council workshop on SPLOST planning. "It is where the administrative and the political come together. At the end of the day this has to be passed by the voters. ESPLOST: All is quiet on the voting front: 5.81% of Savannah-Chatham County voters pass ESPLOST SPLOST has had sweeping success in being approved by voters in Chatham County. The most recent SPLOST election, held in 2019 during other municipal elections such as city council, was approved with 67.58% of the vote. Kaigler's letter outlined key dates for new SPLOST planning. Municipalities are scheduled to provide approved-project lists to the county on May 23. The county is scheduled to approve its list and an intergovernmental agreement with municipalities on June 13, according to the letter's timeline. "The county sets the timeline for the vote and the referendum, and we understand it's a short timeline but we feel we'll be able to get the information (council) needs to have this discussion," said Savannah City Manager Jay Melder at the council workshop." The SPLOST is a penny sales tax devoted to capital projects around the county. Since the county's first SPLOST in 1985, the penny tax has pulled over $1.5 billion in revenue. As a sales tax, about 40% of the revenues are paid for by visitors. Key projects supported by SPLOST over the years include Enmarket Arena and Memorial Stadium. But the tax has also been critical in funding infrastructure such as roads or drainage, including improvements to Savannah's Springfield Canal. The SPLOST 8 process kicks off just a week after county voters approved an extended Education Special Local Option Sales Tax referendum. The ESPLOST is a penny sales tax funding education-related project. The March 18 vote was one day after St. Patrick's Day-- the day the county sent its letter to municipalities. The ESPLOST referendum was approved with 64% of the vote. Evan Lasseter is the city of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah region begins planning on next SPLOST referendum
