Savannah Gardens

Savannah Gardens is located at 515 Pennsylvania Avenue, in Savannah, Georgia. This is one of Savannah’s historic neighborhoods and is a redevelopment of the old Strathmore Estates on the east side of Savannah. The Strathmore Estates were located on a 44 acre site that contained over 300 units that were first built in the 1940’s. While adequate for the 1940’s, nearly 70 years later, they had become substandard rental housing. Partnering with CHSA Development and the City of Savannah, new life has been breathed into this community in Savannah.

Savannah Gardens is a multiphase project with Phase I completing construction in 2011. Phases II and III were completed in 2012. Phase IV was completed in mid-2015, and Phase V was completed in late 2015.

Because of this, Savannah Gardens also offers:

• Energy efficient and sustainable construction
• Energy efficient heating and cooling
• Energy efficient lighting
• Energy efficient appliances
• Water efficient plumbing fixtures
• Wide variety of floor plans
• Covered pavilion with picnic/BBQ facilities and an on-site public park
• Variety of services and activities for all residents
• Conveniently located near public transportation and retail shops

As a result of the energy efficiency efforts put into place, residents of the Savannah Gardens community can easily expect to see 25-35% energy savings versus living in similar apartments that were constructed without energy efficiency in mind.

Phase I of Savannah Gardens was Synergy’s first project. I was not part of the project from the beginning. Somewhere along the way, the program began to “come apart” in the EarthCraft process. I was brought into the project at the point of approximately 60% completion. Working with the owner representatives, the general contractor, the various sub-contractors, and Southface, we were all able to bring the project back together and meet the completion deadlines. That accomplishment made it clear to everyone that all people in the project are a team.

Fortunately, Phases II through V did not have the “coming apart” challenge, but each brought their own set of challenges. Challenges they faced are common in multifamily construction of this scale. Each challenge was faced and overcome.

Besides being certified under the EarthCraft Multifamily program, Savannah Gardens also qualified for incentives under the Georgia Power Earthcents New Homes program for multifamily projects.

The construction team that Mercy Housing put together has proven to be a great team. And when you have a great team, you end up with a great product!

The General Contractor for Savannah Gardens was Norsouth Construction. Norsouth has more than 25 years experience in building multifamily communities.

The photo gallery below shows some of the best of all 5 phases and the creation of Savannah Gardens.

Synergy’s only role at Savannah Gardens was to provide EarthCraft Technical advisory, inspection, and testing services. We had no other role in this project.