Fencing goes up at the civic center site, with 300 years of its history on the panels

New panels around the redevelopment site trace what stood on the ground before it.

MILESTONECivic Center site, downtownJul 20, 2026

Construction fencing went up around the Savannah Civic Center site this month, and the panels on it carry something more useful than a developer's logo: nearly 300 years of what has stood on that ground.

The site sits on two of Oglethorpe's original squares, Elbert and Liberty, which were built over when the civic center went up in the 1970s. Restoring them has been discussed for years. The panels are a small thing, but they signal that the history is being treated as part of the project rather than something to build past.

Why it matters

Whether Elbert and Liberty squares come back is the single biggest question in downtown Savannah's plan, and this site is where it gets answered.

What to watch

Whether the redevelopment actually restores the two squares.

JurisdictionCity of Savannah
ScaleTwo original squares
TimelineFencing installed July 2026
WhoCity of Savannah
Sources and documents1 source

See an error, or have an update on this project? Tell Urban Savannah.

Connected coverage

Follow the thread

All updates

Explore the projects, places, developers and public systems connected to this story. Each card explains the link.