Plant Riverside District – Savannah, Ga.’s newest and most exciting destination for dining, shopping and live entertainment – was honored with a 2021 Preservation Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation at the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Fall Ramble in Macon, Ga. on Saturday, Oct. 9.

“We’re deeply honored to be recognized by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for our focus on preserving the past while planning for the future at Plant Riverside District,” said Richard C. Kessler, Chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection. “Throughout the development of Plant Riverside District, it was important to preserve the historic elements of the original 1912 power plant, including the iconic smokestacks and other original architectural details. We transformed an abandoned power plant along the Savannah River into an award-winning destination that has earned acclaim as Savannah’s Entertainment District.”

Plant Riverside District was honored by the Georgia Trust with an Excellence in Rehabilitation Award, which recognizes projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value. Awards are presented on the basis of the project’s overall contributions to the community or the state and on its compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Every year, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes outstanding projects completed within the last year as well as individuals in the state of Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation with its annual Preservation Awards. The Georgia Trust’s Preservation Awards Committee reviews projects in a range of categories including Restoration, Rehabilitation, Sustainable Rehabilitation, Preservation, Stewardship and Preservation Service.  

Plant Riverside District has received numerous accolades from global, national and local organizations for historic preservation and urban design. Earlier this year, Plant Riverside District was honored as the Congress for the New Urbanism’s 2021 Charter Awards Grand Prize Winner and won an Urban Land Institute 2021 Global Award for Excellence and 2021 Americas Award for Excellence. In addition, the project was recognized as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS): 2020 Development of the Year and earned a 2021 Historic Savannah Foundation Preservation Award.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit preservation organizations. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation supports the preservation, protection and revitalization of the state’s diverse historic resources.