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The Savannah Civic Center is a multi-purpose facility located in Savannah, Georgia, in Savannah Historic District. Built-in 1974, the facility consists of an arena, theatre, ballroom, and exhibit halls. Throughout the years, the center hosts various concerts, conventions, exhibits, high school and college graduations, trade shows, theatre, ballet, and comedy shows. The venue offers event planning, a national A/V company, and production management. The center has held concerts by many famous artists from around the world.
| Savannah Civic Center | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | 301 West Oglethorpe Avenue Savannah, Georgia, 31401-3643 |
| Location | Savannah Historic District |
| Owner | City of Savannah |
| Operator | OVG Facilities |
| Opened | 1974 |
Construction cost | $8 million ($49.4 million in 2023 dollars[1]) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 400 (Civic Center Grand Ballroom) 400 (East & West Promenades) |
Theatre seating | 7,832 (MLK Jr Arena) 2,524 (Mercer Theatre) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 4,840 sq ft (450 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 4,752 sq ft (441.5 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 35,352 sq ft (3,284.3 m2) |
| Tenants | |
| Savannah Spirits (CBA) (1986-88) Savannah Rug Ratz (EISL) (1997-98) Savannah Steam (AIF) (2016) Savannah Coastal Outlaws (APF) (2017) | |
| Website | |
| Official Website | |
Each year, the civic center hosts nearly 900 events including the Savannah Tire Hockey Classic, which awards the "Thrasher Cup" and numerous meetings are held in the building's meeting wings. It was the home to the Savannah Bees basketball team, the Continental Basketball Association's Savannah Spirits basketball team, and the Savannah Rug Ratz soccer team of the EISL. The arena between the years of 1986-87 was the host of the Big South Conference's men's basketball tournament.
In 2017, the city council voted to build a new area, west of downtown.[2] The aging MLK Jr Arena proved to be too small to attract bigger acts and the repairs needed to bring the facility up to code were too costly.[3] Initial plans saw the removal of the arena solely. In June 2019, the council voted to demolish the entire civic center to create more green space in accordance with "The Oglethorpe Plan." Destruction of the center and renovation of the lot will take at least four years, based on the timeline recommended by the Urban Land Atlanta Institute.[4] A campaign to "Save the Mercer" theater inside the Civic Center has been initiated by a longtime Savannah resident, Paul Mazo. Mazo told a local TV station that city officials indicated a preservation campaign will "open the door to some [needed] community discussion."[4]
The new arena, originally known as Savannah Arena and subsequently renamed Enmarket Arena after securing a naming rights agreement in July 2021,[5] opened in the first half of 2022. The estimated cost of the project is $165 million. Perkins + Will have been named the firm in charge of designing the arena,[6] while AECOM Hunt is in charge of construction.[7] City Council has stated there are no plans to demolish the Civic Center until three to five years after the new arena is built.[8]
In June 2024, the Savannah city council voted 7–1 in favor of demolishing the MLK Jr Arena and renovating the Johnny Mercer Theatre, ballroom and community meeting spaces at an estimated net cost of $90 to $120 million.[9]
| Venues | |
|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. Arena | 7,832 (can be expanded up to 9,600 based on configuration) |
| Johnny Mercer Theatre | 2,524 |
| East and West Promenades | 400 |
| Civic Center Grand Ballroom | 400 |
Several noted musicians have performed at the venue, including:[10]
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