Membership News

PUBLIX SAVANNAH WOMEN'S HALF DOWNTOWN ROAD CLOSURES

Heads up, Savannah! The Publix Women’s Half Marathon & 5K is happening TODAY and several downtown road closures will be in effect.

• Early closures begin at 3:30 AM and will last through 12:00 PM in certain areas.

• Additional closures will occur during race time between 7:30 AM and 11:30 AM.

Plan ahead and give yourself extra time if you're traveling downtown on Saturday morning.

View the course map, road closures, and impacted streets at:
www.savannahwomenshalf.com

UPCOMING DOWNTOWN ROAD CLOSURES

ROW- Stations of the Cross (Under Review)

Date: Friday April 18,2025

Location: St. Johns’ Episcopal Church

Time: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM- Closures: W Charlton, E Charlton, Bull St, E Harris,

Details: Around Madison Square

Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon and 5K

Date: Friday April 4- Saturday April 5,2025

Location: Starts at Drayton and Gwinnett- Ends at Forsyth Park

Time: Sat 4/5 Various closures from 6:45AM-11:30AM

Details: For exact times and road closures, please visit

Road Closures - Savannah Sports Council

ROW- Red Shoes Run 5K (Under Review)

Date: Saturday April 19,2025

Location: 4710 Waters Ave-Ronald McDonald House

Time: 7:00 AM – 12:30 PM- Rueben Clark Dr

Details: For exact times and road closures, please visit

Red Shoes Run 2025 | Ronald McDonald House Charities

Forsyth Park Sidewalk Arts Festival

Date: Saturday April 26,2025

Location: W Park Ave

Time: 5:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Details: For exact times and road closures, please visit

Closed: West Park Ave from Drayton St to Whittaker St

https://www.scad.edu/sidewalkarts2025

SAVANNAH POLICE DEPARTMENT QUARTERLY BUSINESS ADVISORY MEETING

Savannah Police Department First Quarter Update – 2025

The Savannah Police Department recently hosted its quarterly Business Advisory Meeting, bringing together key stakeholders including the Savannah Downtown Business Association, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Leadership Council, City Market, Visit Savannah, and North Point Hospitality Group. The meeting provided important updates on crime statistics, homeless outreach initiatives, and ways businesses can engage with public safety efforts.

Key Highlights:

• Violent Crime: Overall violent crime decreased by 14% in the first quarter of 2025.

• Domestic Violence: Unfortunately, there has been an increase in domestic violence cases.

• St. Patrick’s Day Weekend: Five violent crimes were reported; three suspects have been apprehended, while two remain at large.

• Traffic Fatality: One fatality occurred in the Liberty City area.

Homeless Outreach & HOPE Unit Efforts:

• The HOPE Unit continues daily sweeps of downtown parks and squares, focusing on problematic areas including Broughton Street, Johnson Square, Wright Square, and Ellis Square.

• A Top 20 Offenders List has been created and is actively shared between SPD and the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CHSA).

• During this quarter, enforcement and outreach efforts led to:

  • 33 misdemeanor citations

  • 17 felony arrests

  • 13 referrals or transports to services

Community Engagement & Technology:

• SPD is expanding its Community Resource Officers team. These officers will receive specialized training in marshalling, code compliance, and ambassador-style engagement to better address street-level concerns.

• Funding from the SCAD Community Fund will support the expansion of Flock and city surveillance cameras, enhancing the ability to monitor and deter criminal activity.

How You Can Help:
Businesses are encouraged to use the Savannah PD mobile app to report crime and street-level issues. SPD also urges businesses to register their security cameras with the department to support investigations when incidents occur. Provide feedback on the Savannah Police Department app, by taking a brief survey https://forms.office.com/g/rDaYKHPqhy.

APRIL LUNCH REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN AT WWW.SAVANNAHDBA.COM

You’re Invited – April 9th Luncheon with Savannah Downtown Business Association

From marketing your own business to promoting the entire city, telling Savannah’s story is a year-round effort. Join us for an insightful luncheon as Visit Savannah presents:
“Telling the Stories of Savannah”. Discover how strategic storytelling fuels our tourism economy and attracts visitors from across the globe. We’re also proud to celebrate Abshire Public Relations, our luncheon sponsor and a valued DBA member, as they mark 25 years of amplifying the voices of Savannah’s business community and beyond.

SUPERBOWL WINNER NOLAN SMITH JR. PROVIDES FIRST TEE STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS

Philadelphia Eagles superbowl champion and Savannah native Nolan Smith Jr. was celebrated in the city of Savannah last week which included being presented the key to the city, a celebration at his annual golf tournament in Southbridge and a surprise for First Tee of Savannah students. Nolan Smith Jr. provided 2 scholarship awards to two First Tee Savannah students to have their college education paid for and to support the values and mission of First Tee Savannah of leadership and excellence through golf. 

DOWNTOWN NEWS AND MEMBER EVENTS

• Savannah Music Festival continues through April 12th. See full schedule here.
• April 1st- 30th- Mary’s Place recognizes April as sexual assault awareness month and is offering a wide variety of events to raise awareness:  Jeans for Justice, Solidarity Walk (6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Apr. 8 at Forsyth Park), Connected Voices, One Mission: Strengthening Trauma-Informed Responses to Sexual Assault” – Second Annual Responders Summit on Sexual Assault (10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday, Apr. 16 at Savannah Technical College Eckburg Auditorium) and  “Find Your Voice” Lip Sync Competition (Friday, Apr. 25 at Victory North)  see all events and sponsorship opportunities at https://marysplacega.org/gala/. 
• April 5th- Blessing of the Fleet in Thunderbolt 12pm-5pm, River Drive in Thunderbolt
• April 5th- Photos with the Easter Bunny at Tanger Outlets
• April 5th- Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum Family Day
• April 5th & 6th- Spritz and Hits Rooftop Brunch, Lost Square 11am-2pm
• April 5th- Savannah Ghost Pirates vs. Florida at the Enmarket Arena 7:30pm
• April 8th- Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Sponsorship and Marketing Opportunities Information Session via Zoom
• April 8th- Tharros Place "Quiet Courage: Silent Disco to raise awareness of Silent Crimes", Soho South, 5pm-8:30pm
• April 8th- Grounded Wine Walk with Josh Phelps at Plant Riverside District 5pm
• April 12th &13th- First Tee Savannah Par-tee at Plant Riverside District-  Masters weekend enjoy the 9 hole putt putt set up in Montgomery Park Saturday and Sunday. Join First Tee Savannah at  District Live from 12-6, Masters Sunday, April 13th- including golf simulators, final round coverage of The Masters, the bar will be running with a First Tee/Masters inspired cocktail with proceeds going to First Tee Savannah.  

For more events happening in our area or to upload your own visit www.savannahmastercalendar.com

WELCOME NEW MEMBER THE INDIGO COTTAGE