Fresh renderings: New facet of downtown Savannah breaks ground

The years-long trend of substantial investment and growth along Savannah’s waterfront is officially continuing.

During a Thursday ceremony that included Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, national residential developer Trilogy Investment Company and Atlanta-based real estate investment firm Kingdom Estates broke ground on The Isling at Savannah Harbor, a project that’s promising urban walkability in an island setting across the water from downtown.

Fresh renderings depicting building facades and the finished community were also released. The core homes near a central greenspace look especially dense, relative to most made-from-scratch communities.

Jason Joseph, Trilogy’s CEO and managing partner, said the groundbreaking marks “the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Savannah Harbor” in an announcement.

The Isling at Savannah Harbor's planned walkable layout across the water from downtown. Courtesy of Trilogy Investment Company

Example of home facades bound for The Isling. The architecture will include "inviting front porches, elevated foundations, and... natural materials such as brick, stucco, and wood that harmonize with the surrounding environment," per developers. Courtesy of Trilogy Investment Company

The 36-acre, multi-phase project (formerly known as The Reserve at Savannah Harbor) is billed as “a community that combines timeless architectural beauty with… modern conveniences and luxury” in a uniquely coastal Georgia locale. The developers partnered to acquire The Isling’s parcel on Hutchinson Island in Savannah’s River District for $17 million last year. Today, the site counts a few large homes and some infrastructure next to golf course links but little else.

The Isling’s property is set across the Savannah River from the city’s famed River Street, near the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. It’s a five-minute drive—or short ferry ride—from Savannah’s downtown Historic District, according to project leaders.

The initial phase will see 90 homes total—a mix of townhomes, duplexes, and single-family dwellings. Trilogy’s schedule calls for a quickly delivering that in the third quarter of this year.

Pricing for The Isling has yet to be specified.

Overview of the 36-acre plan for Hutchinson Island, across the water from Savannah's River Street, facing away from downtown. Courtesy of Trilogy Investment Company

When completed, The Isling will see 198 homes in what officials call a mix of Coastal and Lowcountry architectural styles and floorplans meant to complement the island’s scenery. Those will include single-family dwellings with city views, deep-water river homes, rowhomes, duets (that’s fancy speak for “duplex”), as well as golf course and terrace properties.

Trilogy reps recently told Urbanize Atlanta the timeline calls for completing the full project in roughly four years.

Custom home design and build company Southern Coastal Homes is onboard for construction, in partnership with architecture firm A Classical Studio. (If you’re wondering, The Isling’s name is derived from the Irish word meaning “dream.”)

Planned amenities at The Isling include bocce and pickleball courts, a resort-style pool, bountiful gardens, and a large clubhouse for events and gatherings described as beautiful.

View of Savannah's River Street from Hutchinson Island. Shutterstock

The project aims to capitalize on downtown Savannah’s cachet and growth around the city that’s recently been described as “explosive.” It isn’t the first big deal to move forward recently on the island.

As it stands, Hutchinson Island’s primary attraction is the Savannah Convention Center and Westin Hotel, with 18-hole the Club at Savannah Harbor golf course next door. Nearby, the 35-acre, mixed-use Savannah Harbor project is taking shape with residences, retail, and greenspace.

Elsewhere on Hutchinson Island, the IGY Savannah Harbor Marina—featuring 100 berths for all types of vessels, including more than 1,000 linear feet for deep-draft superyachts—is set to open near the convention center this spring.

Across the river from those developments is yet another large waterfront project nearing completion, the Upper East River district, where some new penthouses are priced north of $8 million (yes, $8 million). That project is easily walkable to River Street.

View of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge's connection to Hutchinson Island. The new community will be located to the right. Shutterstock