Savannah Civic Center
The Savannah Civic Center is a multi-purpose facility located in Savannah, Georgia, in Savannah Historic District. Built in 1974, the facility consists of four venues; the Martin Luther King Arena, Johnny Mercer Theatre, West & East Promenades and the Civic Center Grand Ballroom. Throughout the years, the center hosts various concerts, conventions, exhibits, high school and college graduations, trade shows, theatre, ballet and comedy shows. The Savannah Civic Center offers event planning, a national A/V company and production management.
| Savannah Civic Center | |
|---|---|
| Address | 301 W Oglethorpe Ave Savannah, GA 31401-3643 |
| Location | Savannah Historic District |
| Owner | City of Savannah |
| Opened | 1974 |
Construction cost | $8 million ($41.5 million in 2019 dollars[1]) |
| Enclosed space | |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
| |
| Capacity | 7,200 |
|---|---|
| Tenants | |
Savannah Spirits (CBA) (1986–1988) Savannah Rug Ratz (EISL) (1997–1998) Savannah Steam (AIF) (2016) Savannah Coastal Outlaws (APF) (2017) | |
Each year, the civic center hosts nearly 900 events including, the Savannah Tire Hockey Classic, which awards the "Thrasher Cup" and numerous meetings are held in the building's meeting wings. It was the home to the Savannah Bees basketball team, the Continental Basketball Association's Savannah Spirits basketball team and the Savannah Rug Ratz soccer team of the EISL. The arena between the years of 1986-87 was the host of the Big South Conference's men's basketball tournament.
The center has held concerts by many famous artist from around the world.
Savannah City Council voted in June 2019 to demolish the Civic Center to create more green space in accordance with "The Oglethorpe Plan." Destruction of the center and renovation of the lot will take at least four years, based on the timeline recommended by the Urban Land Atlanta Institute.[2]
A campaign to "Save the Mercer" theater inside the Civic Center has been initiated by a longtime Savannah resident, Paul Mazo. Mazo told a local TV station that city officials indicated a preservation campaign will "open the door to some [needed] community discussion."[2]
Facilities
| Venues | |
|---|---|
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena | 7,200 |
| Johnny Mercer Theatre | 2,524 |
| East and West Promenades | 400 |
| Civic Center Grand Ballroom | 400 |
References
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- Griner, Ken. (2019, June 18). Savannah man making efforts to 'Save the Mercer'. WTOC 11. Retrieved June 19, 2019: https://www.wtoc.com/2019/06/18/savannah-man-making-efforts-save-mercer/