The City offers for lease approximately 4,800 square feet of ground-floor space within the City-owned Thomas Gamble Building.  The lease for the current tenant, Galaxy Café, Inc., doing business as Olympia Café, is set to expire on December 31, 2025, with no extensions remaining.  In accordance with Georgia Code §36-37-6(3)(A), the City cannot extend the current lease, as the lease is again subject to sealed bids or auction. 

Purchasing Event No. 11622 was issued to publicly solicit sealed bids and detailed proposals for the subject space.  The Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised, and five qualifying proposals were scored. The evaluation criteria included proposed rent, qualifications, and experience; proposed use/concept, preliminary design considerations/renderings, hours of operation, and other operational details; proposed schedule to complete set-up after lease commencement; and Savannah First eligibility.

Following a thorough evaluation process, Galaxy Café, Inc., doing business as Olympia Café, is the highest-scoring proposer and has over 30 years of experience successfully owning and operating a full-service restaurant in the same location.  The proposed use will be a newly renovated, full-service restaurant serving Greek-inspired Mediterranean cuisine, featuring an ice cream shop, take-out area, and private dining space.

Per the terms outlined in the RFP, due to planned renovations of the Thomas Gamble Building, lease commencement and occupancy are anticipated in the third quarter of 2026.  Georgia Code §36-37-6(3)(A), provides for a maximum initial term of five years with an option to extend for an additional five years.

Recommend approval of the award and authorization for the City Manager to negotiate acceptable lease terms and execute associated lease document

Approval