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Capital projects team releases program schedule; West Chatham wetlands may reduce buildable acreage
Summary
District staff presented a multi‑year program schedule for E‑SPLOST projects, project updates and a wetland delineation that could cut usable acreage at the West Chatham high school site; staff cited an estimated E‑4 budget of $481.3 million and said E‑5 planning is underway.
Savannah‑Chatham County Capital Improvements Committee members on a May 2025 agenda received a program schedule update from district capital projects staff that maps how the district will complete E‑SPLOST 4 projects and phase work into E‑SPLOST 5, staff said.
Capital projects staff framed the schedule as a “road map” built around available proceeds, contractor resources and required swing space for relocations. Staff said those constraints — not only design — determine the order of projects and their timelines. The presentation covered current work (for example, Windsor Forest and Bloomingdale renovations), projects about to begin (JG Smith, modular classrooms, Islands Athletic Complex), and larger E‑5 priorities such as West Chatham High School and Bull Street redevelopment.
For West Chatham, staff reported the results of an initial wetland delineation that found substantial wetlands in the northern portions of the site and identified multiple wooded wetland patches. “Everything that’s north of those, that whole area up there, it’s all wooded, but it’s also all wetland,” the presenter said. Staff said the district will refine the delineation and determine how much contiguous, buildable acreage remains; initial estimates flagged a 3–4 acre patch of wetlands that could affect layout and mitigation needs.
Staff also summarized budgets and proceeds. A slide presented at the meeting projected a $481,300,000 budget for E‑SPLOST 4 when transfers and interest are included; staff discussed an E‑5 projected proceeds line (presented in the meeting as approximately $821,206,000) and said E‑5 project lists will be refined once proceeds and design professionals are identified.
Committee members asked about schedules for specific items the community has raised, including Savannah High’s baseball and softball fields and HVAC work at Savannah High; staff said the baseball/softball field project had not yet been pulled out as a separate schedule item but would be prioritized and added. Staff said design contracts and requests for qualifications will be issued soon for major E‑5 assignments and that the district is launching a new procurement platform (Bonfire) for RFQs and bids.
No formal votes were held. Staff said next steps include refining site delineations, finalizing RFP/RFQ language for design professionals, producing a more detailed schedule for prioritized projects (including Savannah High fields), and returning to the committee with updates and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) change orders where required.
