The appreciation for Ellis Square has gone global.
The redevelopment of the Barnard Street greenspace and adjacent infill projects such as the Cay Building and the Andaz hotel drew recognition last week from the Congress for New Urbanism.
Ellis Square was one of nine projects in the world to receive a Charter Award from the organization, which promotes walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development.
The Charter Awards are “arguably the most important international award in urban design,” according to Craig Clements with local urban design firm Sottile & Sottile.
Savannah City Manager Stephanie Cutter credited Ellis Square for bringing “vibrancy” to the City Market area and downtown.
“This is an excellent example of public-private partnership and what we can do when we work together,” Cutter said at Tuesday’s Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission meeting.
“This project will go down as one of the best in the history of this city,” she said.
The Congress of New Urbanism cited the “comprehensive public process” that went into transforming an unsightly parking garage location into an attractive public space.
More than 20 public meetings and a three-day design charette were convened prior to the start of construction.
The redevelopment of the square included the construction of an underground parking garage and took better than four years.
The square reopened in March 2010 and has become a popular gathering place, with its dancing water fountains and terraced landscape.
“The replacement park restores the historic continuity between the two key public spaces of street and square while acknowledging their intricate connection to adjoining private property,” the Charter Awards jury wrote in its review of the project.
“The square’s design actively engages the streets that converge on the site and provides for amenities such as fountains that complement the more traditional uses found at other Savannah squares.”
Ellis Square is the third Savannah project to win a Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award in the last four years. The SCAD Museum of Art was honored in 2012 and the Savannah River Landing plans received a 2009 award.
“That run of success sends the message that Savannah is not just a museum piece but a vibrant city,” Clements said.
ELLIS SQUARE REVITALIZATION
The following companies and organizations were acknowledged for their contributions to the Ellis Square redevelopment by the Congress for New Urbanism.
• Owners/Development Team: City of Savannah, Batson-Cook, The Cay Family, London Properties, Holder Properties.
• Urban Design and Architecture: Sottile & Sottile, Cooper Carry, Lominack Kolman Smith, AECOM, Dawson Architects, Krehbiel Architecture, Smallwood Reynolds Stewart Stewart.
• Construction: Batson-Cook, New South Construction, Dabbs Williams, DMS Construction Services, Carson Co.
Source: Congress for New Urbanism (cnu.org)