SCAD rehabilitates historic Chatham Apartments

Since 1979, SCAD has provided university housing for students in downtown Savannah, requiring the adaptive rehabilitation of properties that, while historic, have often fallen into severe disrepair. Over the last four decades, SCAD has repurposed crumbling midcentury motels, empty private residences, and more to serve a second life as downtown residence halls — bringing energy and vibrancy to city blocks that had long been left to ruin. As a university community that believes in the power of design and beauty to inspire and transform communities, SCAD is honored to serve students by reimagining so many neglected properties and to fill them with a contemporary academic purpose that strengthens the entire community.

Recently, SCAD conducted a study to determine the benefits of on-campus living and found that students who live in SCAD residence halls have fewer class absences, a higher GPA, and an increased graduation rate. These new insights — driven by the utmost dedication to our mission to prepare students for success in their lives and future careers — has led SCAD, in recent years, to invest more resources in student housing. As a private, nonprofit, accredited university, SCAD has always focused on allocating resources in the service of students and their professional aspirations. In November 2020, SCAD purchased the former Chatham Apartments, an empty and seriously dilapidated apartment building (609 Abercorn St.), as part of the university's capital plan to provide affordable housing to SCAD students who want to avail themselves of the benefits of campus living.

In addition to wholly reimagined interiors that prioritize wellness and safety, Chatham Apartments, like all SCAD residence halls, will be staffed by student services professionals who devote care and attention to all residents, including full-time, in-residence directors, counselors, and others, as well as myriad additional resources (e.g., specialized technology to support homework, healthy dining options, and more). In every SCAD residence hall, unlike off-campus apartments, students enjoy the safety and community of their classmates and the support of professional staff 24 hours a day. Like so many downtown Savannah properties, Chatham Apartments has a long and largely unknown story. The midcentury building has been adapted several times in the last 70 years for very different uses.

1950s — Construction on the new Chatham Apartments was completed in 1952 and featured 233 units, marketed to Savannahians as luxury apartments for "dignified, gracious living" near downtown shops and historic Forsyth Park.

1960s — A nationwide trend toward suburban living led to a precipitous decline in density among Savannah's many downtown apartment buildings, including Chatham Apartments.

1970s — Candler Hospital (which formerly operated in what is now SCAD's Deloitte Foundry) purchased Chatham Apartments for the addition of patient beds and new oncology and cardiology units.

1980s — Candler Hospital relocated to midtown in 1980, and the entire Candler Hospital property, including what is now SCAD's Deloitte Foundry and Chatham Apartments, was sold to Huntington Associates in 1982. In 1985, developer Lynwood Willis purchased Chatham Apartments and converted the property into privately owned, federally subsidized housing.

1990s — Chatham Apartments fell into severe disrepair throughout this decade, following the repeal of the Moderate Rehabilitation Program by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, which provided preferred financing to property owners to complete building renovations.

2000s — After 40 years of deferred maintenance by the private ownership, residential units throughout Chatham Apartments had become largely unsuitable for habitation. A complete and total rehabilitation of all building systems and interiors was urgently needed.

2010s — The condition of the property continued to decline throughout this decade. The property was purchased by Abercorn Apartments, LLC, a company formed by Atlanta-based QR Capital, in 2019. As reported in the Savannah Morning News, the new ownership partnered with an experienced national residential relocation company over a 12-month period to secure replacement housing for all tenants.

2020s — After new housing was secured for tenants, the building was now empty. Abercorn Apartments, LLC, then listed the property for sale, looking for a buyer with substantial preservation design and rehabilitation expertise. SCAD purchased Chatham Apartments in November 2020, with the goal of completing a comprehensive renovation of the property by the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year in fall 2022.

SCAD's current rehabilitation of Chatham Apartments, along with all SCAD residence halls in operation, benefit the community in myriad ways — by bringing life, a positive educational mission, and economic activity to the downtown area, including the hundreds of local jobs generated by a design, construction, and rehabilitation project of this scale.

SCAD is deeply devoted to Savannah, our flagship hometown. We are more than professors, deans, chairs, advisers, and leaders: We are friends, neighbors, little league coaches, volunteers, and so much more. We love Savannah and are honored to help continue making this city one of the most beautiful, inventive, welcoming cities in all the world.

If you have questions about this project, please email [email protected].