The building was already painted yellow and located across the street from Grayson Stadium. What will soon serve as the Savannah Bananas’ new headquarters appears meant to be.
A “stroke of luck” is how President Jared Orton recently described the team’s recent acquisition of the former furniture store at 2934 Bee Road - a purchase that came about by chance when the team’s co-owner, Emily Cole, learned of the building owner’s intention to sell the property while shopping there.
The team is getting prepared to make the necessary renovations to the space to accommodate the team’s administrative staff, which has grown from five people to almost 40, all of whom have been trying to make the limited space at the stadium meet all their work needs. That has entailed working outside in the stadium seats and in the locker rooms, while having to rent storage units for the team’s merchandise and equipment.
“It was like a bandaid keeping everything together basically,” Orton said.
The new building will provide plenty of office and warehouse space, as well as a break room for employees to have their meals. Administration’s move out of the stadium will also allow the team to provide a game-day backstage headquarters for the hourly employees at Grayson, by providing lockers, places to eat and changing areas for the characters, Orton said.
Orton said in early February that the project does not involve any major construction and the team anticipates the renovations will be completed in about six to eight weeks.
Meanwhile the team is planning some additional improvements to Grayson after renovating the stadium’s food services areas and restrooms last year.
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding approved by voters for stadium improvements became available this year and the team is currently working with the city to determine how to put that money to use, Orton said.
“Going into the 2024 season, Grayson Stadium is going to look awesome,” he said. “It’s going to look and feel like a 1944 stadium but in 2024.”
Visit the Savannah Bananas on the web at savannahbananas.com
