In 2017, the City and the Coastal Heritage Society (CHS) entered into a SPLOST 6 Agreement governing the use of $1,500,000 in SPLOST 6 funds to make capital improvements to the City-owned real property located at 655 Louisville Road. The property is part of the 25-acre Tricentennial Park located at the southwest corner of MLK Boulevard and Louisville Road. Tricentennial Park includes the Battlefield Memorial Park and Savannah History Museum, the Georgia State Railroad Museum, the Savannah Children’s Museum and related facilities. CHS and City originally intended to use the $1,500,000 in SPLOST 6 funds to make improvements to the site of the Children’s Museum and adjoining former railroad paint shop facility. Approximately $100,000 of the $1,500,000 allocation has already been expended on architectural and engineering plans for the project. However, development costs have escalated beyond the original budget for these planned improvements. Therefore, CHS and City desire to amend the SPLOST 6 Agreement to redirect use of $800,000 of the $1,500,000 in funds to make capital improvements to another facility at Tricentennial Park (the former storehouse) to facilitate new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) exhibits as part of an expanded Children’s Museum program. The $800,000 in SPLOST funds will be leveraged with private donations to install a new roof; new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; new paint and floor coverings; restroom renovations, and more. The remaining balance of $600,000 (after expending $100,000 in architectural and engineering fees and re-directing $800,000 to make improvements to the former storehouse) will be used to complete the retaining wall at the Children’s Museum project.

Staff recommends approval and authorization for the City Manager to execute the amendment.

Approval