Plant Riverside District: River Street’s Rebirth

November 22, 2023

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Photo by John Fulton

It wouldn’t be out of line to call the last few years Savannah’s Renaissance. For years, we served as sort of a sleepy counterpoint to the metropolitan glitz of Atlanta. No more. Through new venues for entertainment, new resources for international businesses and a fierce new attitude, Savannah has emerged as the hottest little city on the coast. On the following pages, we introduce you to a few of the game changers who made this renaissance happen.

From the towering spires of its kaleidoscopic smoke stacks to the vibrant energy spilling out from its manicured confines across the cobbled thoroughfare of River Street, it’s impossible to understate the meteoric impact that Plant Riverside District has had on Savannah. More than a hotel, more than a series of bars, Plant Riverside District is its name implies: a district. It’s an entirely new entity at the heart of the city, boasting a dynamic mix of retail, entertainment and hospitality all crafted with the imagination and cohesion of a theme park. Which isn’t too far off from Richard Kessler’s original vision. “When I went to Georgia Tech, I took a couple of courses in city planning,” he said, “and I always asked myself, ‘How do you plan the city of tomorrow?’” Much like Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (aka EPCOT), Plant Riverside germinated in Kessler’s mind as an ideal while he busied himself creating a business empire. The famed hotelier had shown he had the golden touch at properties worldwide, but with this project he wanted to do something on a different level. “It’s only 4.5 acres but it’s a microcosm of a city,” he said. “You have a lot of things going on here. Entertainment is always part of a city, so we have District Live. Now we have two radio stations housed here and our own recording studio. Every city has a park, so we created MLK, Jr. Park. It’s everything you’d find in a city.” For Kessler, it was all part of giving back to the city that had nurtured him. “I was born here and Savannah is my hometown. Being a part of moving it to the next level and becoming the entertainment district for Savannah really gives me great satisfaction. That’s why I went into this,” he said. “I wanted to do something that would change this city for the better.” And he’s not done yet. What has been accomplished at Plant Riverside District will soon set the stage for revitalization that will stretch all the way down the banks of the river. “I’m on the board of the Community Investment District for River Street and I’m very excited,” he said. “We’re going to be taking the things we learned here and applying them to raise up River Street and all of Savannah. That’s my hope and vision, working with leadership to elevate River Street.”…Stay tuned.

Hello! Where’s the Rest of My Article? This story is just one of many featured in Places of the South, a 316-page book featuring the Greatest Destinations in the South.

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