Garden City officials say vacant properties in the city, which has struggled to get back on its feet since the recession, are being actively marketed.
The vision city leaders once had of new restaurants and boutiques opening has not come to fruition, as evidenced by the vacant stores in Southbridge Commons next to city hall. In June, the city raised property taxes for the first time in its 75-year history after seeing declining tax revenues.
Grass several feet tall along the Dean Forest Road median could be found growing right in the front of city hall, constructed in 2009 at a time when former Gov. Sonny Perdue described the city as “the strength of Georgia.”
“In the city of Savannah, Ben Carter is fixing to spend $70 million renovating Broughton Street. Over in Pooler, we’re all very aware of what’s going on,” resident Misty Selph told officials at Monday night’s town hall meeting at city hall.
“Here on this property, next to I-16, sits great potential but because the city has no developer to go and attract businesses it sits idle.”
The meeting, originally scheduled to run an hour, lasted just shy of 30 minutes after only a few questions were asked by the roughly 20 members of the public. Beforehand, the Georgia Ports Authority, Norfolk Southern, Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission and city staff met with residents.
Officials did, however, address the concern about future development.
The property at the corner of Dean Forest Road and Town Center Drive, where a small nursery once sat, is being marketed. And Coldwell Banker is “actively marketing” the town center property at city hall, said Ron Feldner, acting city manager.
He said the former Food Lion building anchoring the shopping center has a new owner with Hilton Head-based MSK Commercial Services serving as the broker.
“I do hear about interest, and I heard it just again 10 days ago,” said Feldner, who expressed hope that the upcoming opening of the Garden City library will attract businesses.
Mayor Tennyson Holder assured the audience “there are things happening” to draw development.
Thanks to the property tax increase, he said, the city is working on a number of capital improvements — including road projects and purchase of public safety equipment — and will begin developing a new 2015 budget over the next four months.
“The city’s expenditures and revenues are in line with the budget we adopted in December of last year,” Tennyson said.
“In most cases, the city’s operating fund is ahead of budget at the mid-year point, which has been welcome news to everyone.”
And, by Tuesday morning, work crews were seen mowing the grass along Dean Forest Road.