Choate Construction is excited to partner with Cabretta Capital on the historic renovation and preservation of the 38^th Street School located at 315 West 38^th Street in Downtown Savannah. The adaptive reuse project will convert the two-story building and partial basement into 27 boutique apartments, while preserving the historical features of the building, including the original wood floors, interior trim and wainscoting, exterior columns, and masonry walls, with plans to repurpose the school’s doors and chalkboards.

“Having the opportunity to not only preserve but revitalize this historic building into a unique residence is such a privilege,” says Brianna Walter, Project Manager. “The team and our trade partners are working diligently to bring the school back to life in a way that honors its history and brings value to the Savannah community, offering a new place to call home.”

Built between 1900 and 1920, the school’s most recent occupant was the St. Paul Academy for Boys, which closed its doors in 2014. After serving as a school for nearly 100 years, the building sat untouched for close to a decade. Choate is working alongside the architect, LS3P Associates, and historic preservation consultant, Ward Architecture + Preservation, to manage the transformation and preservation of this important landmark.

The Choate team mobilized in January 2022 with the demolition of the building’s non-historic materials, including all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, windows, tiling, various lighting fixtures, and chain-link fences. With most of the demolition complete, the project team has begun installing site utilities, constructing the wood framing for the 27 apartments, and completing rough-ins for the new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems.

Project completion is anticipated for Q4 of 2022.

The project and insight from the team were featured on WTOC-TV in Savannah: https://www.wtoc.com/2022/03/23/apartments-planned-historic-savannah-school-building/