Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), 2003

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Georgia Cities Foundation's "Renaissance Award." SCAD Executive Vice President Brian Murphy accepted the award on behalf of the college during the Annual Convention of the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) Sunday, June 22.

The Renaissance Award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the revitalization of one or more of Georgia's cities. In choosing SCAD, the Selection Committee cited the significant impact the college has made to downtown Savannah through the rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of more than 50 buildings for use as classrooms, dormitories, libraries and administrative offices.

SCAD has invested $78.2 million in building and building improvements in downtown Savannah. The annual combined impact of SCAD as a business and the direct expenditures by students, results in a yearly impact on the Chatham economy of between $90 million - generating 1,710 jobs - and $124 million - generating more than 2,000 jobs.

"Not only does SCAD have a huge impact on the economy and vitality of downtown Savannah, the students have an impact as well, making downtown their open classroom," said Georgia Cities Foundation President Mike Starr. "SCAD has demonstrated a great passion for a creating vibrant, healthy city and through its leadership has played an integral role in the revitalization of Savannah's downtown."