Following in the footsteps of its neighbor, Pooler, the City of Port Wentworth plans to activate its Downtown Development Authority (DDA), a public entity created by a city government that focuses on revitalizing its central business district. Every city in Georgia has a DDA. They must be activated by its council through a resolution.
Port Wentworth, unlike Pooler, did previously have an activated DDA in 2001, but there’s no indication that it accomplished much during previous administrations, according to City Manager Steve Davis. The city also has a Development Authority, which was activated in 2022 when conversations with the Ghost Pirates began about the Ice Cove, the training facility slated to open later this year.
Conversations about reviving and starting both began with the arrival of Economic Development Director James Touchton in 2023, but the PWDA took precedence…