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South Lake Union Redevelopment – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
Learn more about 2021 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist, South Lake Union Redevelopment (Seattle, WA).
Plant Riverside District - 2021 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Winner
May 4, 2021
Photo By Terry Allen
The district includes over 670,000 square feet of new mixed-use space including the historic power plant and a twelve new buildings, 1.5 acres of new parks, plazas and public spaces, and 1,100 linear feet of new public river walk; creating the most significant expansion of Savannah’s urban core in modern history.
Photo By Terry Allen
The historic power plant was meticulously rehabilitated and adapted to new uses as a center of gathering, entertainment, education and hospitality along the Savannah River. The project was granted Historic Preservation Tax Credits at the both the state and national level.
Location: Savannah, GA, USA
Developers: Plant Riverside District, LLC; The Kessler Collection
Designers: Sottile & Sottile; John T. Campo & Associates, Inc.; PFVS Architecture; Thomas + Hutton Engineering
Site Size: 4.5 Acres
Photo By Terry Allen
The historic Generator Hall, a grand cathedral-like space that once accommodated massive coal fired turbines serves as the grand lobby for the hotel; but it has also been transformed into a natural history museum linking the history of power generation back to its biological and geological roots.
Savannah’s Plant Riverside District is the result of an extensive eight-year process, resulting in the comprehensive restoration of a landmark historic site, a quarter-mile extension of the city’s renowned river walk, creation of significant new public spaces, and compatible mixed-use infill at varying scales. It is a “mega-project” composed of numerous “micro-projects.” The result is a hub of vibrant urbanism redefining west River Street, integrally connected to Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District and the Savannah River.
Photo By Terry Allen
The performance stage at Martin Luther King, Jr. Riverfront Park comes alive during a holiday celebration with the historic Power Plant serving as its noble backdrop. In addition to the performance stage and terraced lawn, the park is home to the first and only monument to Dr. King in the City of Savannah.
Plant Riverside District anchors the northwest corner of Savannah’s historic urban core on a 4.5 acre formerly industrial site spanning more than 4 city blocks. The centerpiece is the historic Power Plant, constructed in phases between 1912 and 1953. The project has created a dynamic mixed-use district with a focus on dining, music, retail, education and hospitality, woven into the city as an extension of the renowned Oglethorpe Plan, and home to the city’s first and only monument to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plant Riverside connects key rights-of-way from the oldest wards of the city to the riverfront, re-establishing public access that had been lost for over 100 years.
Photo By Terry Allen
Interstitial spaces between buildings were developed into compact plazas that are spatially defined by the entrances of local businesses. Top local and regional retailers were recruited by the development team to make their home in Plant Riverside; ensuring that the district would be “of its place” and draw local residents as well as visitors.
The historic district hosts approximately 14 million visitors annually. Plant Riverside includes over 670,000 square feet of new mixed-use space including the historic power plant and twelve new buildings, 1.5 acres of new parks, plazas and public spaces, and 1,100 linear feet of new public river walk; creating the most significant expansion of Savannah’s urban core in modern history.