Savannah's historic district approved a six-story mixed-use project despite opposition. Georgia Tech's $70M renovation plan for Bobby Dodd Stadium also was approved, focusing on upgrades for premium seating, suites, press operations, ADA access, videoboards and more. Funding to be secured by Georgia Tech Athletic Association.
Lynch Associates Architects image
The project architects reduced the building's height by 5 ft. and added a setback on its western facade to make a portion of the building's mass more visually compatible with the neighboring Ballastone Inn and other nearby structures.
Savannah, Ga.'s Historic District Board of Review (HDBR) narrowly approved the height and mass of a proposed 6-story mixed-use building May 14, 2025, on the corner of Oglethorpe Avenue and Drayton Street, the Morning News reported.
The project architects reduced the building's height by 5 ft. and added a setback on its western facade to make a portion of the building's mass more visually compatible with the neighboring Ballastone Inn and other nearby structures.
The approval came on a slim 4-3 vote after extensive public opposition to the proposal.
"I think the modifications have made the project much better and are fully in compliance with the guidelines," said project designer Andrew Lynch of Lynch Associates Architects in Savannah.
The petition has received more than 90 online public comments — overwhelmingly against the project — and another roughly 10 individuals showed up in opposition at the May 14 meeting.
Savannah HDBR's approval of visual compatibility was made despite existing contributing structures on the project's block of East Oglethorpe Avenue, such as the Julliette Gordon Low House and Ballastone Inn, each having five or fewer floors and residential-scale building footprints.
The port city's ordinance regulating design within its Downtown Historic District states visual compatibility should be judged by structures within view of the subject property.
Opponents of the project included Juliette Gordon, Low Birthplace Museum Executive Director Shannon Browning-Mullis and two architects of the Ballastone Inn. Each of those public commenters said members of the project's development team did not meet with them about the building's size.
"The visual compatibility is a real issue to us," said Reggie Gibson, who said he was an architect on the neighboring property. "... so, the only thing I can think to say is the building is too big, too tall and too flat."
Proponents of the building's construction pointed to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School's Board of Education building across Oglethorpe Avenue and the Savannah College of Art and Design's Bradley Hall as examples of comparably sized buildings within view of the project site.
The project, currently dubbed the Oglethorpe Residences, was designed to feature ground-floor commercial use and residences on the second through sixth floors. The property resides in a five-story-height map zone, but a bonus is available based on the ground floor being used as commercial, according to the Morning News.
But HDBR's approval was just the first of two that are required before construction can get under way. Further design elements such as building materials are to be used will go before HDBR at a future meeting.
The board's vote featured unique circumstances in that new members were appointed to the HDBR since the project's first hearing. One new member, Mariel Hamer, recused herself from the vote due to a conflict of interest; she is a project designer of Lynch Associates Architects.
Another new member, Robert Helms, publicly opposed the project as a private citizen during a February 2025 meeting. Helms told his fellow members that he did not believe he needed to recuse himself over a conflict of interest and affirmed his ability to judge the petition objectively based on the city's ordinance.
In the end, though, he voted to deny the project.
"I have no personal stake in this one way or the other, except that I think it's visually incompatible with what is around it," Helms said.
Georgia Tech's $70M Renovation Plan for Football Stadium Also Approved
A $70 million renovation project was approved for the Georgia Institute of Technology's Bobby Dodd Stadium at a May 15, 2025 meeting of the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents.
Now, the Georgia Tech Athletic Association will have to secure funding and financing for the project, noted WSB-TV in Atlanta.
According to the agenda item for the project, Georgia Tech will be in charge of upgrading the stadium, with a stated goal of "determining the best approaches to addressing deficiencies in the current structure," while also giving more value and a better experience to football fans, alumni and students.
The project proposes adding a variety of features, including premium seating areas on the west sideline, as well as chairback seating along the entire east and west sidelines "to elevate the game day experience."
The west sideline also would get eight new founder's suites, in addition to the same number of new elevated suites and improvement to the 16 existing suites. Press operations and food services locations would be renovated as well, WSB-TV reported.
The proposal also mentions plans for changes on the east sideline, including renovations to 15 suites, an updated Field Club lounge and a new Speakeasy Club, taking up 20,000 sq. ft. and 3,250 sq. ft., respectively.
Other work on Bobby Dodd Stadium would include:
- upfitting 10 suites in the north end zone;
- carrying out renovations on the upper level of the Wardlaw building at the south end zone, which would mean upgrading three suites. University officials also want to relocate the press operations area and add booths for security, radio, statistics and flexible use;
- installing new chairbacks to general admission seating throughout the bowl, except in student areas;
- making changes to address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access needs;
- adding handrails on various sections of the stadium; and
- erecting new videoboards in the south end and northwest corner of the arena.
The Georgia Tech Athletic Association would secure bonds or private financing to cover the project's costs, according to the proposal text, with construction overall expected to be approximately $39.6 million, along with an additional $18 million for equipment.
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