When the City of Savannah released its Housing Savannah Action Plan in 2022, it caught the attention of a team of civic-minded investors based in New York City.
The group was then known as the Galvan Foundation, and it wrote a $50,000 grant to support the action plan. That was the beginning, said Dan Kent, an advisor with the Civis Foundation, formerly the Galvan Foundation.
That $50,000 investment then grew into a $7 million donation to the fund focused primarily in Historic Cuyler-Brownville. Now, the Civis Foundation has doubled that investment with another $7 million.
“We had a plan that made sense, and we’ve gotten the investment and partnerships because of that vision,” said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.
zoning measure aimed at increasing housing
The historic investment in local housing and community development initiatives was announced at city council’s Oct. 8 meeting. The new investment includes $1.5 million in a “social impact loan” that will support permanent financing for the 16 affordable apartments at 916 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The 916 MLK project will provide housing for individuals experiencing, exiting or at-risk of homelessness. The latest CIVIS investment will also support purchase of one and a half blocks of vacant property around West 35th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The new funding is part of CIVIS’ new West Broad Blueprint Initiative, which aims to develop housing, retail and cultural arts investments along the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Corridor.
“We look forward to doing more and more work together over the years, and we couldn’t be more delighted to be building housing here in Savannah with all of you as partners,” Kent said.
The presence of CIVIS Foundation can be found already in the Cuyler-Brownville Neighborhood.
Off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard just south of 37th Street is a banner on the face of a building currently under construction. Featured prominently on the banner is the CIVIS logo alongside the City of Savannah’s.
Just around the corner on West 36th Street more construction is underway at the historic Kiah House, purchased by the CIVIS Foundation in 2023. The foundation's project is restoring the home, which was previously vacant and blighted, into a museum honoring the life and art of Virginia Kiah.
Kiah established the city’s first African American museum at the home. The renovation will also feature an accessory dwelling unit at the property’s carriage house. In total, CIVIS' previous investments have resulted in 15 new homes, renovation of the MLK Boulevard commercial property and renovation of W.W. Law's historic home in Cuyler-Brownville.
“I want you all to know that this partnership is working … It’s definitely adding value to the community,” said Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier, who represents the neighborhoods CIVIS has invested in.
Evan Lasseter is the City of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Civis Foundation invests $7 million in Savannah housing initiatives
