On Our Radar: A booming month at the Port of Brunswick, in part due to diversions from Baltimore

This week's installment of On Our Radar features an announcement of record-setting volume for autos and heavy equipment in April for the Georgia Ports Authority. There are also updates from Savannah City Council on the future of the former Asbury United Methodist Church building at 1201 Abercorn St.. Finally, a key stakeholder takes a position on the future of the Savannah Civic Center site.

If you have neighborhood updates, organization events or news tips you think could be of service to Savannahians, send them to elasseter@savannahnow.com. Also reach out if there are stories here you would like to know more about. Deadline for the On Our Radar series will be the end of day each Friday.

Growth at the Port of Brunswick

The GPA's Port of Brunswick is known for its handling of roll-on/roll-off cargo, and April was a record-setting month with 80,600 units moved, according to recent GPA press release. That's a 44% increase compared to April 2023 in ro/ro cargo, which consists mostly of autos.

GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch said organic growth is occurring at the Port of Brunswick through an uptick in vehicle exports and increased capacity for existing customers, according to the press release. But the massive bump from April is not only due to typical port growth.

Diversions from the Port of Baltimore, after its shipping channel was blocked by a cargo ship crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, brought approximately 9,000 autos and another 1,000 units of heavy equipment to the Port of Brunswick last month.

“We are expecting the impact of diverted cargo to taper off in June, as the Port of Baltimore works to fully restore service,” Lynch said in the press release.

Future plans for former Asbury United Methodist building moved to June meeting

Thursday's council agenda featured a host of zoning items for a project that would allow the former Asbury United Methodist Church building to become a restaurant and event venue. Those items were continued to the June 27 council meeting.

Asbury United Methodist Church sold the property this year after facing issues of water damage and accessibility, according to the City of Savannah's agenda item. The building, which sits at 1201 Abercorn St., was placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2020 list of places in need of preservation.

The items recently received recommendation for approval from the Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission. The project's developers met with the Victorian Neighborhood Association about the proposal in early April, and it was well received despite concerns about parking, according to the MPC staff report.

The rezoning petitions will require public hearings when they appear before council for anyone who wishes to be heard on the project.

Historic Savannah Foundation takes position on Civic Center site redevelopment

The Historic Savannah Foundation's Board of Trustees released its official position on the future of the Savannah Civic Center site Monday, and it advocated for the removal of the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena and restoration of the Oglethorpe Plan. HSF's statement said the history of the building should be honored in some way by the city.

The statement also said the Johnny Mercer Theatre should remain in place "to give the community time to thoughtfully assess the future of the theater site." The statement floated the current site of the Interstate 16 flyover, which is poised to be removed in coming years, as a potential location for a future theater.

HSF's position allows for two-thirds of the site to be restored to the original city plan, with a long-term goal of full restoration. The position takes an approach almost identical to the one presented by city consultant Sottile and Sottile throughout the public engagement sessions on the project.

HSF's full statement is below:

"The Board of Trustees of Historic Savannah Foundation unanimously agrees that the Oglethorpe Plan should be restored. We believe the city should remove the Arena at The Civic Center– while finding some way to honor the history of this building. The Johnny Mercer Theater should remain in place in order to give the community time to thoughtfully assess the future of the Theater site. For example, one alternative could be to construct a theater similar in size and use on the current site of the I-16 Flyover and former site of Savannah’s Union Station.

Any new buildings constructed on the lots should be in accordance with the Oglethorpe Plan and the original lot structure. This proposition provides for over two thirds of the site to be restored to the Oglethorpe Plan in the short-term, and a plan for all of the site to be restored over time while restoring nearby areas of the Landmark District."

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah news update: A booming month at the Port of Brunswick