The Riverfront Urban Renewal Project spans a half-mile section of the Savannah riverfront along the Savannah River. Completed in June 1977 just two years after the 1975 groundbreaking, the $7.33 million project was a unique public-private partnership that leveraged Urban Renewal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program funds, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant, as well as City of Savannah funds to transform a dilapidated area of the City into a thriving community riverfront park that has attracted millions of visitors to Savannah since. Once the site of the Port of Savannah, Savannah’s riverfront had become rundown and neglected after the Port moved upriver following World War II. This project revitalized the riverfront by creating a 30-acre waterfront plaza with a pedestrian emphasis, accented by focal points at the terminus of each ramp leading down from Bay Street to the waterfront. Significant features included recessed parking lots, a continuous bike path, consideration for handicapped accessibility, and a new bulkhead extending the plaza over the river to create a total width of 60 feet. Leaders and principals of the project included Savannah City Manager Arthur A. “Don” Mendonsa and Savannah City Mayor John Rousakis, as well as Eric Meyerhoff, Project Architect, of Gunn & Meyerhoff A.I.A., Architects, Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung, Engineers, Eric Hill Associates, Inc., Consulting Engineers, and Bellamy Brothers, Inc., General Contracting. The riverfront project received the Governor’s Award by the Georgia Arts Commission for the best design of an urban area in 1979, and an award for Cultural Achievement from the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1980.

In order to provide a place for children to enjoy the new riverfront park, Architect Eric Meyerhoff designed a special play area for them in one of the focal point areas, featuring a sandbox with play tugboat (lovingly known as "Tinkerbell"). With all the projects Meyerhoff designed and completed in Savannah during his career, he often referred to the tugboat and the joy it brought children as one of his favorites. In the forty plus years since the Riverfront Urban Renewal Project was completed, the tugboat hosted many children and playdates, but also suffered general wear and tear. It has been repaired and rebuilt several times, and was completely removed several years ago for safety reasons.

Ms. Margot Meyerhoff raised funding through community involvement to construct and install a new ADA accessible tugboat structure to replace the tugboat installed by her father, Eric Meyerhoff, in 1977 as part of the Riverfront Urban Renewal Project. The new play structure will provide locals and visitors alike, the opportunity to play and create memories similarly to prior generations. The Park & Tree Department has worked with Ms. Meyerhoff on this project and will incorporate the play structure into its existing River Street maintenance program.

Approval