A new intermodal visitors shelter is in the works for River Street to serve passengers embarking and disembarking from the ferry, streetcar or bus shuttle.
Architect Christian Sottile presented designs for the ferry shelter Wednesday in front of the Historic District Board of Review and received preliminary approval for the first phase of construction.
The structure will be located between River Street and the river walk at the foot of City Hall. The stop will serve Savannah Belles Ferry, River Street Trolley and Convention Shuttle Bus, and provide visitors information, transit schedules and arrival times.
Sottile said plans for the shelter had been in the works since 2009 as part of the Visitor Mobility Plan, spearheaded by Savannah Area Mobility Management Inc., or SAMMI.
This group was established to create projects and programs that improve mobility options for visitors and locals in the National Landmark Historic District.
The shelter will be made of brick and bluestone with a steel roof to match existing materials in the riverfront plaza. Granite benches and display panels for transit schedules will also be included.
Bridget Lidy, the city’s tourism administrator, said funding for the project would come through a public-private partnership with SAMMI’s various stakeholders, including the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chatham Area Transit Authority, Trade Center Authority and city of Savannah.
The petition for the structure describes it as a “natural extension of the riverfront plaza … sheltering visitors from the elements and providing them with useful information on Savannah’s transit system.”
“This is a fantastic example of a public-private partnership that’s been in the pipeline for quite some time,” Lidy told the board.
