First phase of Eastern Wharf Project underway in Savannah

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - If you’ve recently driven near President Street and General McIntosh Boulevard, you’ve probably seen cranes and construction.

What was once known as the Savannah River Landing Project is now the Eastern Wharf Project, and the first phase is already underway. Buildings are popping up and the site is under active construction.

Despite what it looks like now, developers says they expect phase one to be done by summer of 2020 - but that’s not all.

“We hope to break ground late summer, early fall this year on 193 key full-service hotel. The construction period for that is about 18 months. Then we have an 80,000-foot office building that we hope to start construction in late this year," said Ian Smith, Developer, Mariner Group, Atlanta.

Smith says these construction workers have been working diligently five days a week to keep the project moving along and on the timeline they are hoping for. A project of this magnitude means hopeful growth for Savannah.

“The development costs here are expected to exceed $600 million, so it’s going to be a tremendous boost for Savannah’s tax base, and more important than that, we designed this project for the local Savannahian."

He says he wants the Eastern Wharf to attract all Savannahians, and is working to make that happen by including multi-family homes, parks, and even shopping centers.

“A lot is next. We’re not sure exactly what that is. At the end of the day, this is going to be a spectacular, game-changing waterfront project for Savannah.”

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