When Will Waters Avenue Be Revitalized?

About three years ago, I ran across an article in The Savannah Morning News about the revitalization efforts the city was undertaking to clean up Waters Avenue. The corridor stretching from the intersection of Wheaton and Waters, all the way up to Waters and Victory Drive, was in horrible shape.

A severe amount of boarded up buildings and steady climb in crime rates, make this corridor one of least desirable sights in the city. I was very young when my older brother attended Romana Riley Elementary before it was closed due to poor conditions in 1990. He once told me that the classrooms would get so hot due to the lack of air conditioning, teachers would prop open windows only to allow pigeons to fly in, who themselves wanted to escape the heat outside.

I can remember walking past Urban Christian Academy, just a block away from the abandoned Romana Riley, and being greeted by teachers as they stood outside to watch their students walk home.

There was an arcade adjacent to Urban Christian, which housed children who would spend so many hours plugged into the matrix of Ms. Pacman or Super Mario, that time would literally fly off of the clocks nailed to the walls littered with Michael Jackson posters.

Dave’s Barber Shop on Waters and 32nd, is where I received the first of many haircuts, along with plenty other young men who sat in Dave’s chair while listening to their elders banter about politics, sports, local news and social commentary. He was the first black small business owner I’d ever known. Years later, I requested that Dave give me one last haircut for my junior prom, though the shop was in horrible condition, and I was the only customer there for months.

There also was a shopping center on Waters and 37th that housed thriving businesses and a supermarket that supplied my family with many meager meals. It was a boon for the community as a whole. There were beautiful row houses with gardens in the backyard and pride was taken in its appearance.

I mention these businesses, houses and schools because in 2013, none of these cornerstones exist anymore. And all plans to revitalize the neighborhood have fallen through. There has been talk that new City Manager Stephanie Cutter has her focus on Montgomery and MLK, which is a no brainer. I just hope that Waters Avenue will one day rise back up to being a source of pride to the community, with a little help from the city.