The City of Savannah plans to construct the Cohen Street Multimodal Connection, a new roadway that will connect West Boundary Street to the recently completed surface parking lot adjacent to Enmarket Arena. This project will improve connectivity by providing an additional route for vehicles and pedestrians, improving access to the Arena parking facilities, and helping reduce traffic congestion before and after Arena events. Funding for the project and acquisition of required land rights have previously been approved, and no additional funding is being requested as part of this agenda item.

To construct the project, the City must acquire permanent easements from two properties owned by Frogtown Properties, LLC:

- Property #1 Address – 465 W Boundary St
Parcel Identification Number – 20045 11008
Required Easement Area – 0.635 acres (or 27,667.65 square feet)

- Property #2 Address – 455 W Boundary St
Parcel Identification Number – 20045 11007
Required Easement Area – 1.28 acres (or 55,750.37 square feet)

The Real Estate Department and the Office of the City Attorney have worked extensively with the property owner to acquire the required easement rights through negotiation. In accordance with applicable federal and state acquisition requirements, the parties obtained independent appraisals to determine the fair market value of the easements. The appraised values ranged from $635,000 to $2,210,000.

Despite approximately 10 months of negotiations and multiple attempts to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, the parties have been unable to agree on compensation for the required easements.

Because acquisition of these easements is necessary to complete the Cohen Street Multimodal Connection and advance the public benefits of the project, staff recommends that City Council authorize the use of eminent domain proceedings to acquire the required easement rights. Staff considers this action a measure of last resort after exhausting reasonable efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Approval