Savannah held a pre-demolition ceremony, "Honoring the Legacy, Building the Future," marking the start of the Civic Legacy - Arena Removal project at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center. City Council approved a $10.9 million guaranteed maximum price for the work in early 2026.
Site prep and fencing began in March, and crews will hand-demolish the 1972 arena, no wrecking ball, no explosives, working within 30 feet of the wall by hand so the rest of the building isn't damaged. The job is expected to take about 13 months, with completion targeted for spring 2027.
Council set this in motion in June 2024, after EnMarket Arena opened downtown and took over as the city's main event venue. The Johnny Mercer Theatre, ballroom and meeting rooms stay open throughout construction. Once the arena footprint is clear, the city plans 200 to 300 housing units, 40 to 60 of them row homes, plus 45,000 square feet of local retail and a new municipal office building, with new hotel development on the site prohibited.
Mayor Van Johnson and city officials handed out bricks from the arena wall as keepsakes at the ceremony; one went to the city's Office of Municipal Archives & History for a future exhibit on the Civic Center's 50-plus years hosting concerts and conventions.
Why it matters
This is the first physical step in reclaiming 7 acres of downtown land for housing after 50 years as a single-use arena, and the city has already ruled out replacing it with another hotel.
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