Community day this Saturday to celebrate the opening of the Enmarket Arena

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Millions of dollars. Years in the making. About a month delayed.

The Enmarket Arena will finally open its doors this week, and Savannahians will be among the first to go inside.

The city and sponsors are celebrating the opening with a community day this Saturday.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the idea behind the community day for the new arena is important, because it means locals are the ones getting to enjoy some of what the taxpayer-funded facility has to offer first.

In just four days, the doors of the new Enmarket Arena will open to the public ahead of any concert or sporting event, giving Savannahians the first opportunity to see and experience the multi-million dollar facility firsthand.

Mayor Johnson noted the construction that continues around the arena, saying while it’s still months out from being completed, there’s an advantage of sorts in it not being finished.

“I think in a way, although all the infrastructure is not complete, I think in a way it’s probably a good thing that it’s not. It allows us to open smaller and work into it and work out kinks as we expand parking and all of those things,” Mayor Johnson said.

Mayor Johnson says a slower roll-out for the new arena will allow the city and arena operators to adjust event to event, beginning this weekend.

“We’re able to see how things work on Saturday, we’re able to make adjustments for Sunday. We see how things work on Sunday, and we can make adjustments for Wednesday. And I think we move on from there,” Mayor Johnson said.

Enmarket Arena management posted on Facebook that masks are mandatory at this time unless people are actively eating or drinking. It is also no longer required to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test until further notice.

Again, don’t be surprised if you come out Saturday that the infrastructure surrounding the new arena, like the road projects and parking areas, are expected to be finished this summer.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.