Abercorn Common facts for kids
Abercorn Common logo
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| Location | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 32°0′7″N 81°7′24″W / 32.00194°N 81.12333°W |
| Opening date | 1968 |
| Developer | Melaver, Inc. |
| Management | Melaver, Inc. |
| Owner | A.J. & C. Garfunkel |
| No. of stores and services | 13 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| Total retail floor area | 169,000 sq ft (15,700 m2) (GLA) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
Abercorn Common is a large shopping center in Savannah, Georgia. It covers about 180,000 square feet. This center was the first retail place in the U.S. to get a special "LEED" certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It means the building was designed to be good for the environment.
The shopping center looks a lot like Savannah's old downtown area. It has nice awnings, brick walls, fountains, and sidewalks made of brick. You can also see palm trees and willow trees around the area. Abercorn Common first opened in the 1960s. Back then, it was one of the first big stores on the south side of Savannah. Today, it's a main shopping spot in the city. Other big shopping centers like Oglethorpe Mall are very close by.
Contents
A Look Back: History of Abercorn Common
Abercorn Common first opened in 1968. It was called Abercorn Plaza back then. When it first started, it was only about 38,000 square feet. Over time, it grew much bigger. It now covers almost 169,000 square feet.
Early Stores and Growth
The first main store at the center was M&M Supermarkets. This was a grocery store owned by the Melaver family. In the 1970s, the shopping center got bigger. New stores like Sam Solomon and later Service Merchandise and Western Auto joined.
In 1985, the M&M Supermarket chain was sold. The Melaver family still owned the buildings, though. The M&M store at Abercorn Plaza closed in 1991. A new, bigger Kroger store opened nearby. The old M&M store building didn't stay empty for long. In 1992, it became a Books-A-Million and a Michael's craft store.
Changes in the 2000s
In the early 2000s, the Service Merchandise store became smaller. It was split into two different shops. Around this time, the Melaver company started focusing on being eco-friendly again. They had already made their downtown Whitaker Building very energy-efficient. This helped push for more sustainable building in Savannah.
LEED Certification: Building Green
The LEED program helped Abercorn Plaza become more energy-efficient. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It's a way to show that a building is designed to be good for the environment.
How Abercorn Common Became Green
The center used many special features to earn its LEED silver certification.
- It has roofs that reflect sunlight. This helps keep the building cooler.
- The bathrooms have water-saving sinks and toilets. This saves a lot of water.
- They used paints and sealants that have low levels of harmful chemicals. These are called low-VOC products.
There's also a big tank behind the building. This tank collects over 5 million gallons of rainwater. This water comes from the roof and the parking lot. The collected water is cleaned and then used to water the plants around the center.
Recycling and Community Support
During the renovation, a lot of waste was recycled. About 85% of the old building materials were reused. For example, some old bricks were turned into new pavers. People could buy these engraved pavers. The money from these sales went to local environmental groups. These groups included The Coastal Georgia Land Trust and the Savannah Tree Foundation.
The new center even has special parking spots. These spots are saved just for hybrid cars. In 2006, the McDonald's at Abercorn Common also became LEED-Gold certified. It was the first McDonald's in the world to get this high level of certification!
New Look After 2006
The big renovation project started in 2004. Old stores like Service Merchandise and Western Auto were taken down. Even some nearby car dealerships were bought and demolished. All the good building materials were saved and reused. A company called RK Construction & Development helped a lot. They are experts at saving and rebuilding old buildings.
Expanding the Shopping Area
The land from the demolished buildings created a new triangle-shaped area. This area is where three streets meet: Abercorn Expressway, White Bluff Road, and Fairmont Avenue. The rest of the shopping center was also updated. New buildings were put up, including a Circuit City. More spaces for different stores were also added. A section called "Shops 600" opened in early 2007. It also received a LEED-Silver certification.
