Brief History
In 1943, 750 apartments were built in the Savannah Gardens area of Savannah as public housing for World War II ship builders. Originally named the Josiah Tattnall Homes, these ‘demountable’ homes were intended to be dismantled after the war. Instead, shifting from property owner to property owner, they were renamed Strathmore Estates, and steadily fell into disrepair. In the 1990s, 370 units were demolished to make way for Savannah High School. Of the 380 remaining units, only 140 were occupied as of February 2009: 30 units have already been demolished and 210 are vacant.
The remainder of the buildings are slated for demolition in 2010, and the ensuing redevelopment will be mixed-use and mixed-income: housing and ‘light’ commercial buildings that are environmentally sustainable and economically affordable for residents within the surrounding community.
The Emergent Structures Project originated as the result of a meeting convened by The Creative Coast Alliance between several local sustainability leaders and the city agencies and contracted planners and engineers responsible for the redevelopment project. Thomas & Hutton Engineering is the lead agency, and C.H.S.A. (Community Housing Services Agency) is the non-profit organization that owns the property. The efficient reclamation of salvaged building materials will help the City of Savannah realize their vision of a truly sustainable neighborhood redevelopment project.