Savannah’s arena development director abruptly retires as $160M project set to break ground this year

March 14--The city staffer in charge of developing Savannah's $160 million arena retired last week about six months before the city is expected to break ground on the sales-tax funded project that was first approved by voters in 2006.

Pete Shonka, the city's director of arena development, elected to use up his terminal leave through his effective retirement date of July 1 after giving his notice March 6, according to city spokesperson Ken Slats.

Shonka had previously worked as an assistant city manager before being placed in charge of the arena project during a government restructuring early last year.

City Manager Rob Hernandez said Thursday that Shonka would be missed, but that his departure was not expected to impact the city's ability to move forward with the arena project.

"Mr. Shonka was a long-term employee with the city of Savannah and he certainly contributed much to its success, and he has just reached a point in his career where he chose to retire and we wish him well," Hernandez said. "It's always a period of adjustment when you lose somebody like Mr. Shonka, but the reality is that there are about 35 other city employees that are also working on the arena project and we also have our consultants and so forth."

Bret Bell, assistant to the city manager, is filling Shonka's role for now as a determination is made on whether the city will hire someone new for the position, Hernandez said.

Bell said multiple staff committees have been established to handle different aspects of the arena and he downplayed his new responsibilities.

"It's a team effort," he said.

A revised design concept for the planned $160 million arena received a more favorable reception from the Savannah City Council last month after a previous concept was met with mixed reactions by the mayor and aldermen in December. At that time, site work was expected to begin immediately after a groundbreaking in September.

Hernandez said the city is still aiming for that deadline.

"I think that the project will continue without missing a beat," he said.

The arena is being built on city-owned property located north of West Gwinnett Street and east of Stiles Avenue. The arena is expected to spur private investment in the area west of the Historic District that the city intends to also develop with parks and recreational facilities. Revenue raised by a voter-approved sales tax, the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, is being used to fund the project.

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