Garden City is home to one of the region’s most important economic engines, but future success depends on more than industrial growth alone. Economic Development focuses on business retention, redevelopment, corridor reinvestment, small business support, property improvement, community partnerships, and creating places where investment can thrive.
Through outreach, redevelopment initiatives, strategic planning, and partnerships, the City works to strengthen existing businesses, attract new investment, encourage reinvestment in aging commercial areas, and support projects that contribute to a stronger local economy.
The goal is to help create a Garden City that is not only a place to work, but a place to invest, visit, build, and grow.
Town Center Redevelopment
Garden City’s Town Center was envisioned as a central destination bringing together government services, housing, businesses, public spaces, and community activity. Residential development has brought new households to the area, but much of the broader mixed-use vision remains unrealized.
The City is exploring ways to build upon existing investment by introducing complementary commercial, civic, recreational, and community-serving uses. Potential concepts include restaurants and cafés, small retail spaces, markets, event areas, public art, walking connections, shaded gathering spaces, adaptive reuse, and other uses that can create a more active and connected destination.
Town Center Enterprise Zone
The Town Center is located within an Enterprise Zone established by the City to encourage private investment, job creation, business activity, substantial property improvement, new construction, and redevelopment.
Qualifying projects may be eligible for phased exemptions from City property taxes and other locally authorized incentives. Eligibility depends on the type of project, investment made, jobs created, property improvements, and formal approval by the City.
View the Town Center Enterprise Zone Ordinance
The ordinance should be reviewed directly for eligibility requirements, boundaries, application procedures, and limitations. The Enterprise Zone does not replace zoning, permitting, development review, building-code compliance, or other required approvals. The ordinance created incentives for qualifying businesses, service enterprises, and residential development within the designated area.
For current information regarding the Enterprise Zone’s status and available incentives, contact the Planning and Economic Development Department before relying on the ordinance for a proposed investment.
Business Incentives and Assistance
Garden City works with regional and state partners to connect qualifying businesses with available tax incentives, workforce programs, financing resources, and technical assistance.
Programs may include:
- job and quality-jobs tax credits;
- port-related tax credit bonuses;
- investment and research tax credits;
- workforce recruitment and training assistance;
- equipment, inventory, and sales-tax exemptions;
- small-business and entrepreneurial assistance;
- project-specific local or regional incentives
Availability is determined by the responsible agency and may depend on job creation, wages, investment, business activity, location, and other eligibility requirements.
Explore Regional and State Business Incentives
The Savannah Economic Development Authority maintains information on business tax incentives, workforce resources, exemptions, and other programs that may be available to qualifying businesses in the Savannah–Chatham County region.
Upcoming Initiatives
Additional economic development initiatives and resources are expected in September 2026. Please check back for updates.