HSF to Spotlight The Municipal Grand Renovation in HSF Lecture on Thurs., Nov. 20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAVANNAH, Ga. (Oct. 22, 2025) – Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), which is currently celebrating its 70th anniversary, will feature local architects and historic preservationists Sarah Ward, AICP of Ward Architecture + Preservation, Becki Harkness of Ward Architecture + Preservation and Mariel Hamer of Lynch Associates Architects as special guest speakers on Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center, located in the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 E. Broughton St. in Savannah, Ga.

Ward, Harkness, and Hamer will deliver an informative and engaging lecture titled “The Municipal Grand: A Journey in Adaptive Reuse” as part of the 2025 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah.” Attendees are invited to attend a wine reception at 5:30 p.m. The lecture will start at 6 p.m.

“We’re delighted to welcome esteemed local preservationists Sarah Ward, Becki Harkness and Mariel Hamer as our featured speakers for November,” said Historic Savannah Foundation President and CEO Collier Neeley. “We warmly invite community members to join us as we spotlight the impressive renovation and adapative reuse of The Municipal Grand, as we continue to uncover the captivating stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future.”

The rehabilitation of the former City of Savannah building and former First Federal Savings & Loan Association headquarters at the corner of Abercorn Street and Broughton Street in Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District was a five-year project that required significant focus on pre-planning and sensitive design in response to changing markets and financing involving multiple owners.

Historic preservation incentives drove the decision-making for the adaptive reuse from a former bank and city office into The Municipal Grand, a mixed-use hotel, bar and restaurant. This ambitious effort required a listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and creative design approaches to retain historic features while adapting the building to new use. Ward, Harkness and Hamer will discuss the need for historic preservation tools and incentives to follow preservation best practices and influence designs for new and replacement features.

The team will also share about the history of the International Levy & Kiley designed building completed in 1961, as well as the rehabilitation designs and construction. The Municipal Grand, located at 45 Abercorn St., is now open as a boutique hotel and restaurant.

With more than 19 years of experience in historic preservation of cultural resources throughout the southeastern U.S., Ward provides education and outreach to government agencies, higher educational institutions, neighborhood organizations, nonprofit organizations and private groups on the benefits of preservation. She serves on the Fox Theatre Institute Preservation Grants Committee and is a member of the American Planning Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Historic Savannah Foundation, and the Telfair Museum. She co-authored the chapter on Historic Preservation for the fifth edition of the Handbook for Georgia Mayors and
Councilmembers with Malik Watkins of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She earned a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Harkness has been working in Savannah’s historic preservation and nonprofit community for 15 years, having joined Ward Architecture + Preservation in 2017 to aid the firm with historic structures documentation, historic rehabilitation tax incentives, and historic resource survey work. She specializes in compiling structural histories, conducting genealogical research, and preserving knowledge of historical architectural styles and materials, making her very well acquainted with the breadth of historic resources and archival materials available at the local, regional, and federal levels. She earned a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a bachelor’s in Art History from the University of Kansas.

As an architect at Lynch Associates Architects, Hamer’s work focuses on historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Her portfolio includes numerous projects throughout Savannah, many of which pursue state and federal historic tax credits. She served as Architect of Record for The Municipal Grand and has contributed to Historic Savannah Foundation’s Revolving Fund efforts, including The Kline Grocery. Other notable projects include preservation work at Georgia Historical Society’s Hodgson Hall and SCAD’s Bobbie’s Diner restoration and addition. An active advocate for preservation, Hamer serves on both the City’s Historic District Board of Review and Historic Savannah Foundation’s Architecture Review Committee. She has a master and bachelor of Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and continues to advance context-driven design honoring Savannah’s architectural legacy.

Historic Savannah Foundation’s 2025 Lecture Series concludes with a winter break in December. The 2026 Lecture Series will kick off with Sallie Ann Robinson discussing “Daufuskie Island: Preserving a Family Home & Protecting a Gullah Geechee Legacy” on Thurs., Jan. 15. For more information about upcoming lectures, please visit myhsf.org/events/lecture-series.

Historic Savannah Foundation’s Lecture Series is open to the public. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Both members and non-members may reserve their spot by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series. Please contact Kendall Graham at [email protected] for more information about the HSF Lecture Series.