SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — For over 8 decades, families have called Yamacraw Village home, but its demolition is one step closer to becoming reality.
Community leaders say there’s been no plans put in place to protect the people who live or serve here.
“It’s not a project, a project. It’s something that you work on. It’s a community, and it’s been here for a long time,” said LaRay Benton a community advocate. On April 7, the Housing Authority of Savannah, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the City of Savannah agreed on the final required entities for the demolition of Yamacraw Village. Laray Benton, a community leader who grew up there, says there needs to be more conversation on how to rebuild the community that will be displaced. “That’s the only plan that’s been on the table is we want to demolish Yamacraw. But then there has been no explanation as to how right. You want to tear it down. But then how are you going to rebuild it? How are you going to make it better for the people, right? For the residents that are here now,” Benton said. The memorandum of agreement states that the village will always be named Yamacraw, the site will always be used for deeply affordable housing, that the needs of First Bryan Baptist Church one of the oldest black Baptist churches protected under the National Register of Historic Places be met and that current Yamacraw residents be given the first right to return to new housing built in site. “We don’t want anyone to lose their residency, but we want to make sure that we be in contact with HUD and our officials to make sure whatever is built there is built with the character of Savannah, is built to make sure that the people are continuing to be there. And the history of that area is going to definitely be there,” District Alderman Detric Legget said. Not only will residents be displaced once demolition starts, but the church may also be in trouble. “It could drastically damage our church because it’s not on a concrete slab. It’s actually built on wood and brick pillars,” Benton said. Benton says no public plan has been put in place to ensure any of those things happen and he worries about the residents’ futures who live there. “That’s part of the community’s concern is will the residents have the opportunity to come back and reside in this the same neighborhood in which they live in which they grew up in,” said Laray Benton. In about a week, the environmental assessment will be published for public feedback. Then, in about five weeks, they’ll get ready to send the completed application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development…