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Savannah City Hall nears completion of first major restoration in building's nearly 120-year history
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LISTEN: After nearly a year of construction work, Savannah's historic City Hall will soon reopen to the public, with City Council set to return in August. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.
After nearly a year of construction, Savannah City Hall is approaching the end of its first comprehensive interior restoration since the building opened in 1906.
The $5 million project has returned City Council chambers and archival spaces to their original grandeur, according to Savannah Municipal Archives Director Luciana Spracher, while incorporating modern technology needed for government operations.
"Making sure that we preserve this treasure for our citizens and making sure that it's around for the next generations of citizens" has motivated the restoration effort, she said.
The deteriorating condition of City Council chamber's mahogany and oak parquet flooring sparked the entire restoration initiative around 2016, when Spracher and then-Historic Savannah Foundation director Daniel Carey discussed the floor's worsening state.
Crews have refinished original woodwork that had darkened to nearly black over the decades, restored historic brass electric lighting fixtures that once showcased the building's modern electrical system, and brought back the original bronze and marble clock to City Council chambers.
The project extends beyond the chambers to include a transformation of the building's entrance experience, where visitors previously faced a cramped security screening area.
Workers are creating a new welcome and security center in a side room, which will free up the entrance lobby with its barrel-vaulted mosaic ceiling to be enjoyed as an open, welcoming space.
The restoration has also converted the former city treasurer's office into a public archives reading room, complete with a recreated teller screen based on historic photographs and display cases for the city's archival collections.
Original furniture from 1906 remains in use throughout the building, including the aldermen's desks made of faux-finished metal that was considered both sanitary and fireproof at the time of construction.
Spracher emphasized how preservation specialists have worked to hide modern necessities like HVAC systems, network cables, and security cameras while maintaining the building's historic character.
"We were trying to respect the original architectural features and fabric and bring those back to their original glory, but make sure we could still function as a modern government," she said.
The building's layout reflects Savannah's governmental evolution, originally designed for a "weak mayor" system where aldermen sat facing the mayor with their backs to a standing-room-only public space.
After Savannah adopted a council-manager form of government in the 1950s, the chamber was reconfigured with aldermen facing outward toward public seating and city staff positioned at tables below.
City Council has been conducting meetings since September at the Savannah Chatham County Public School System Board of Education offices while restoration work continues.
The project received funding through sales tax revenue, with Phase 1 costing $3 million for the City Council chambers and archives room, and Phase 2 requiring $2 million for the entrance lobby, rotunda, and marble staircase work.
Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in July, allowing City Council meetings to return to City Hall in August, with a third phase to finish the rotunda and stairwell still awaiting funding approval.
Garbutt Construction serves as the prime contractor, working with specialized preservation firms including Landmark Preservation for woodwork and Grande Lighting for the historic fixtures.
Although the city has performed reactive maintenance and modifications over the years, the current restoration represents City Hall's most significant renovation since the building replaced the earlier City Exchange structure that stood on the same Bay Street site from 1799 to 1904.
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