Yesterday, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Sustainable Fellwood - Savannah’s first affordable green housing development and the site of a true West Savannah institution.  Despite the sweltering weather (I worked up a good nose sweat), well over 100 attendees gathered for the historic occasion.  So much support was exhibited for the ceremony, in fact, that event organizers underestimated the number of attendees by half when erecting a shade tent.  Those of us arriving around start time (10 am) found ourselves under the hot eye of the mid-morning sun.

No matter, the groundbreaking was a hope-filled gathering place for stakeholders.  Local elected officials, community leaders, former and current residents of West Savannah, developers, architects, investors, banking partners, environmentalists, the non-profit sector, government agencies, green building designers, activists and even area children came out to unite under the banner of the new Fellwood.

The event began with a few words from project partners and Alderman Van Johnson and Mayor Otis Johnson.  It ended with cake and refreshments at the Moses Jackson Center.  At some point in between, photographers captured the symbolic hardhat/shovel group shot, paying ceremonial homage to the years of effort that have led up to the groundbreaking and the eventual development that will stand on the site, encompassing the efforts of so many.