Savannah review board rejects design for controversial bus terminal

SAVANNAH - The city Historic Review Board has rejected design plans for a public bus terminal that the federal government says would threaten Savannah&#39;s status as a National Historic Landmark. <br> <br> The review board, which enforces construction guidelines for Savannah&#39;s historic district, unanimously agreed yesterday that the design is too box-like to fit the area&#39;s 19th-century architecture. <br> <br> The panel&#39;s rejection temporarily blocks construction of the proposed $13 million terminal for Chatham County buses. Transit officials say it would give commuters a needed indoor waiting area central to downtown. <br> <br> But the project&#39;s location on the edge of the historic district has raised objections from the National Park Service, which has threatened to revoke Savannah&#39;s status as a National Historic Landmark if the terminal isn&#39;t moved. <br> <br> At 2.1 square miles, downtown Savannah is the largest Historic Landmark in the nation. Losing that status would remove the city from the National Register of Historic Places. <br> <br> Opponents say the proposed location on the corner of Elbert Square, one of three public squares Savannah paved over in the 1930s, would hinder efforts to restore the square&#39;s green space. <br> <br> The city review board has already approved building the block-long bus terminal at its proposed location. Architect Paul Hansen said he hoped to have a revised design for the board next month.

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