 City opens Project DeRenne Resource Center
Community leaders and neighborhood residents gathered Tuesday morning to officially open the Project DeRenne Resource Center.
The facility at 1110 E. DeRenne Ave. will serve as a one-stop shop for citizens and business owners to view plans, ask questions and participate in meetings surrounding planned improvements to the corridor. The opening also signals that the City is transitioning to the construction stage following a two-year public engagement process.
Last month City Council approved a concept endorsed by the Project DeRenne Advisory Committee that would route I-516 traffic heading southbound onto a new boulevard that skirts Hunter Army Airfield and connects with White Bluff Road. DeRenne, itself, would receive new medians, sidewalks, bike paths and other streetscape improvements, while investment and assistance would aid commercial properties along the corridor. The plan would ease traffic along one of Savannah’s busiest streets while increasing economic development on Savannah’s “Mid-City Main Street.”
“This has been a long-time coming in terms of moving ahead,” Mayor Otis Johnson said at the Ribbon Cutting. “There has never been a question about needing to do something. The question has always been, ‘What?’ By using our citizens and the expertise of our staff, we have now decided on that ‘What.’”
First on the list for new improvements is a planned sound barrier along I-516 to protect the Tatemville neighborhood. Citizens can learn more about each of these steps at the Resource Center, while neighborhood and business associations can use the space for meetings.
“This facility will help tremendously in keeping our citizens informed and engaged,” Acting City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney said. “This will breathe new life into the project area.”
Hours for the Project DeRenne Resource Center will be 1-5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 9 a.m. to noon Fridays. Citizens can learn more by calling 351-6527.
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