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.

Per an article in Connect Savannah on the history and future of West Savannah:

At one time, whites and blacks lived side-by-side, but after integration of the public schools in the 1960s and the resultant bussing of children across town, white families moved away, leaving the neighborhoods predominantly African-American.  Economic downturns have plagued the neighborhoods, and unemployment, urban blight and crime left residents at risk. Projects such as Sustainable Fellwood offer hope for the future.

Once the sight of a public housing project, Fellwood Homes, the 27-acre transformative development will include several hundred affordable housing units, single family homes, a senior apartment facility, clubhouse, organic community garden, greenspace and common space, and potential retail and commercial buildings.

The $50 million mixed-use, mixed-income development will place a premium on acheiving LEED certification as the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot project.  They will incorporate measures such as the use of sustainable building materials, a high standard of energy and water efficiency, preservation of existing trees and greenspace, and the guidance of the Smart Growth Network’s principles for diverse, walkable, distinctive, attractive communities.

As the old saying goes, “Good things are happening in West Savannah.”  This project, among a host of other initiatives, hopes to build off of what used to be while raising the bar of what can be.  Sustainable Fellwood is more than just a redevelopment project; It is a symbol of environmental responsibility, integrity of the built environment and community integration.  And for me at least, Sustainable Fellwood sends a clear picture that developers, residents and decision-makers alike are fired up about cultivating a more inclusive sense of community and helping to provide every Savannahian with a great place to live in our great city.

Cool stuff.

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