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Tom Weight looked at the projection on the wall of the proposed site plan for what will be known as The District Pooler wearily. The renderings of what the developers wanted to build were beautiful: a massive pond, surrounded by a sleek-looking entertainment venue and hotel, an apartment building, an amphitheater, rooftop bars, dining and more.

However, as someone whose house would butt up against the 117 acre project planned to be at the intersection of Pooler Parkway and Pine Barren Road, he was concerned about a number of things that came with the ambitious project. Primarily was a concern that all Pooler residents share — traffic.

“I feel like it’s going to be an impact to the surrounding communities,” said Weight, who moved to Pooler from New York in 2021. “Traffic is a big deal already in Pooler, and I think it’s going to be even more so because of this.”

Most Pooler residents at the community meeting Monday night had questions about the entire scope of the project and its impact on traffic, flooding and the environment. But Robert Forrest with Forrest Places LLC said the goal of the community meeting was mostly to solicit feedback about what residents wanted in The District Pooler, which they envision to be a community gathering space.

“It’s for a sense of community nowadays, with the internet and social media and everything else, everybody’s looking at their phone too much,” Forrest said. “You see places like The Battery Atlanta, which is on a massively different scale, but you see them come alive and you get to meet the community that you’re a part of.”

The whole development, which is currently in the JABOT planned unit development (PUD) is planned to have an approximately 1,060 multi-family dwelling unit, 440 hotel rooms, 100,000 square foot grocery store, an amphitheater, 1 or 2 gas stations, restaurant space, office spaces and 12 to 14 outparcels for various uses.

The District Pooler would be 50 of the total 117 acres and will just be the walkable, mixed-use element, which will include the entertainment space, various retail and commercial developments, an amphitheater and hotel.

'The community is done'

Nearly as soon as the first word left Forrest’s mouth Monday night, Pooler residents were on the defensive. The meeting had been relocated from the city council chambers on the third floor, to a smaller community room on the second floor. There was no microphone, no speaker system and residents yelled that it was hard to hear him. Then came the heckling about the environment and traffic.

Traffic is at the top of most Pooler residents minds when it comes to any major development. Many of them feel like much of their time is spent waiting in traffic, especially along Pooler Parkway, where on an average day about 40,000 vehicles travel through the corridor.

And Pine Barren Road is a skinny, two-lane stretch of pavement that residents say was not built to carry the capacity it does, especially with the popular Wawa convenience store and gas station located at that intersection.

“The community is done. The people who have lived here for a long time do not want any further development,” said 30-year Hunter’s Ridge resident Amy Gillam. “It is the new people moving here that are saying more, more more.”

But Forrest says the plot of land where they are proposing this development is the only place in Pooler where it can be done.

“It’s almost out of parcels to do anything like this with,” Forrest said. “You know, you’ve got Costco there, an outlet mall here, but not a sense of place which we’re really trying to break into.”

As a Fulton County native, Forrest said he is used to living in an area with a ton of traffic, having to get into a car and wait to go anywhere and do anything. He wants to give residents an area to live, work and play all in one place. He also added that any infrastructure or street improvements that needed to be made would be covered by his development group privately.

The traffic engineer that accompanied him also said that the Georgia Department of Engineering and the City of Pooler already has several projects planned for I-16, Pooler Parkway and Pine Barren Rd to help operations in the corridor. The developers would handle the cost of any mitigation efforts, which means making any road improvements to get traffic back to what it was before they started the development.

Residents also expressed concern about the environment and flooding. With the city nearly built out, many residents want what is left to be conserved.

“This is unacceptable,” Gillam said. “The neighborhood, Barrington Estates, is already flooding, this is going to make them flood worse. That land needs to be left alone. It looks pretty, it looks nice, but it’s cement. That’s what it is.”

Weight said he felt like Pooler was teetering on the brink of overdevelopment.

“There’s already stores that’s been built for a year, still empty,” Weight said. “Apartments, still empty. One of my biggest things personally, is what does this do to my property value? I’m retired. I’m on fixed income. I’m not anxious to move, but if the impact is such that it’s unlivable, I’m going to move.”

Ernie Mahgi, who’s been living in Pooler for three years, said he thought the project was “absolutely incredible” and what Pooler needed.

“Coming from other areas of the U.S., every good town has a center like this,” Mahgi said. “People who have lived here their whole lives are only used to what they see here, which is warehouse.”

What's next?

Forrest Places LLC has owned the property for almost two years now and had been working on the assemblage of it for about three or four years before that.

The assembled property was rezoned in the JABOT PUD in April 2024 to C-2 Heavy Commercial, Forrest said, but the agenda from that day does not explicitly state what the PUD amendment was, and the recording from that meeting is unavailable online.

Three residents commented on the project then, but the meeting minutes also do not include if they were for or against.

Though the group is moving forward gathering community feedback for the proposed multi-use development at the request of Pooler City Council, according to their website, technically everything aside from 50 acres of The District Pooler is build by right under the PUD’s C-2 zoning.

However, for the multi-use element, Forrest said they needed to have that part removed from the PUD for it to happen, which they are requesting. If the request is denied, Forrest said The District Pooler could just be strip malls like the rest of the site.

The amendment to rezone it from the PUD’s C-2 zoning to the City of Pooler’s C-2 zoning appeared in a December agenda but was postponed at the request of the petitioner. It will have to go back through the planning and zoning process before it goes back to council, according to the meeting minutes.

Forrest hopes to have the development built out in phases, with a goal of opening in 2028 or 2029. Before that, though, he said they were going to take all the feedback they'd gotten from the meeting, go back to the drawing board and maybe have another meeting.

Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for the Savannah Morning News, covering the municipalities, and community and cultural programs. You can reach her at DAmbus@gannett.com

Plans for the Pooler project include roughly 1,000 apartments, 400 hotel rooms, a grocery store, an amphitheater, gas stations, and additional restaurant and office space.

POOLER, Ga. —

A crowded open house in Pooler about a proposed mega-development grew tense Monday night as some residents criticized the plans.

The meeting focused on “The District,” a proposal from developer Forrest Places for more than 100 acres near Pooler Parkway and Pine Barren Road. Concept plans shown at the event included roughly 1,000 apartments, about 400 hotel rooms, a grocery store, an amphitheater, gas stations, and additional restaurant and office space.

Frustration surfaced quickly, including complaints about logistics at the event.

“You brought no portable PA? Did the city really throw you under the bus?” one attendee shouted.

Some residents said the scale of the project would worsen congestion on roads they believe are already overburdened.

“I don’t believe that there’s enough infrastructure, specifically the roadways, to support the additional cars driven by some 1,600 residents here,” Pooler resident Michael Rogers said.

Rogers said his commute has lengthened in recent years.

“It used to take about 25 minutes, 30 minutes to get home, now that is easily 45 minutes to an hour,” he said.

Developer Rob Forrest said the layout is intended to encourage more walking, less driving. He described the plan as "trying to get people out of the cars" by creating an environment for them to "live, work, play all in one place."

Others questioned how the development could affect stormwater runoff and remaining open land, urging the developer to preserve more green space.

“I’ve lived in here almost 30 years. I care very much about the community. I care very much about the wildlife,” Pooler resident Amy Gilliam said. “We’d like to retain green space this time, and 117 acres would be perfect.”

Gilliam called the proposal unacceptable.

“This is a bad thing,” she said.

Forrest said the plans presented were preliminary and that the open house was intended to gather feedback, describing the project as an effort to create a walkable area with a mix of housing, shopping and entertainment.

“You’ve got a Costco and you got an outlet mall here, but not a sense of place, which is what we’re really trying to bring,” Forrest said.

Forrest said the project remains in a listening phase and that plans could change based on community input.

“Really, what we’re here for is to put the cards out and then hear what everybody has to say," he said.

The developer said if the project moves forward, it would likely open in 2028 or 2029.

TRENDING STORIES

Here are the Georgia Department of Health's restaurant inspection scores for Chatham County, conducted Jan. 14, 2026-Jan. 20, 2026. Scores in each category are listed by most recent inspection date.

he Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, conducts regular restaurant inspections to help keep residents and visitors safe.

Disclaimer: On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment. A few more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here.

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PERFECT SCORES

Royal Tasty Avenue Food Truck (Mobile Unit), 2.5 E LATHROP AVE SAVANNAH, GA 31415

Leopold's Ice Cream - Mobile 2, 212 E BROUGHTON ST SAVANNAH, GA 3140

Super 8 Savannah, 6 GATEWAY BLVD SAVANNAH, GA 31419

Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, 502 E US HWY 80 UNIT C BLOOMINGDALE, GA 31302

Tequila's Town Mexican Taqueria and Bar, 7360 SKIDAWAY RD STE G1 & G2 SAVANNAH, GA 31406

HIGH TO MODERATE SCORES

Quality Inn Midtown, 7100 ABERCORN ST SAVANNAH, GA 31406, 99

Wayback Burgers Tanger Outlet, 240 TANGER OUTLET BLVD STE 106 POOLER, GA 31322, 98

Blazin' Wings INC., 7700 ABERCORN ST STE C SAVANNAH, GA 31406, 96

Corleones Trattoria, 44 MLK BLVD SAVANNAH, GA 31401, 96

DBA Green Fire Pizza & Sports Bar, 1557 POOLER PKWY STE 100 POOLER, GA 31322, 96

Dunkin Donuts, 7201 GA HWY 21 PORT WENTWORTH, GA 31407, 96

The Corner Grill, 111 JAZZIE DR STE A SAVANNAH, GA 31410, 96

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 11120 ABERCORN ST SAVANNAH, GA 31419, 95

Etang Sav Noodle Inc, 41 WHITAKER ST SAVANNAH, GA 31401, 94

Super Tastes, 119 CHARLOTTE RD STE H SAVANNAH, GA 31410, 93

Logan's Roadhouse, 220 POOLER PKWY POOLER, GA 31322, 93

17 Sakura, 5730 OGEECHEE RD STE 470 SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 92

Jersey Mike's Subs, 4679 E. US HWY 80 SAVANNAH, GA 31410, 91

Aloft Savannah Airport, 1423 BENTON BLVD POOLER, GA 31322, 91

Mo' Bay Island Cuisine, 107 E US HIGHWAY 80 POOLER, GA 31322, 91

Panera Bread, 234 POOLER PKWY POOLER, GA 31322, 91

The Sauce Italian Kitchen and Bar, 100 BLUE MOON XING STE 110 POOLER, GA 31322, 91

Residence Inn Savannah Midtown, 5710 WHITE BLUFF RD SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 91

Eggs Up Grill, 5710 OGEECHEE RD STE 450 SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 91

Mi Tierra Authentic Food, LLC, 4305 MONTGOMERY ST SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 90

El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant, 4305 MONTGOMERY ST SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 90

Patron Bar & Grill Mexican Restaurant, 4395 OGEECHEE RD SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 90

LOW SCORES AND WHY

Abercorn Rehabilitation Center, LLC, 11800 ABERCORN ST., SAVANNAH, GA 31419, 89

Inspector Notes: Observed no CFSM certification present at time of inspection and was unable to produce certification at the time of inspection. COS: PIC was able to pull-up certification from serve-safe website and was advised to print and post it in public view. CA: The original CFSM certificate shall be posted in public view in each food service establishment. An additional copy shall be retained on file at the food service establishment at all times and shall be made available for inspection by the Health Authority. Observed no verifiable proof of how employees were trained regarding their reporting responsibilities at time of inspection. COS: PIC printed DPH reporting agreement paperwork required and had employee's sign. CA: Food employees and conditional employees are informed in a verifiable manner of their responsibility to report in accordance with the Chapter, to the person in charge, information about their health and activities as they relate to diseases that are transmissible through food. Observed hand sink in the main kitchen not reaching minimum hand washing temperature of 85 degrees F when arrived. COS: PIC informed maintenance and they were able to increase the temperature above 85 degrees F. CA: A handwashing sink shall be equipped to provide tempered water at a temperature of at least 85ºF (29.4 ºC) through a mixing valve or combination faucet. Observed no paperwork describing the response to a vomit or diarrheal event and PIC could not fully explain the clean-up procedure. COS: PIC printed out response clean up from DPH website. CA: A food establishment shall have written procedures for employees to follow and an EPA registered disinfectant effective against Norovirus available on-site at the food service establishment when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events that involve the discharge of vomitus or fecal matter onto surfaces in the food service establishment. The procedures shall address the specific actions employees must take to minimize the spread of contamination and the exposure of employees, consumers, food, and surfaces to vomitus or fecal matter. Observed multiple employee items placed on rack above single service items. COS: PIC placed items at the bottom of the rack. CA: Lockers or other suitable facilities shall be located in a designated room or area where contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens and single-service and single-use articles cannot occur

Happy China II, 2022-A CAPITAL ST SAVANNAH, GA 31404, 87

Inspector Notes: Observed line cook wash his hands in the prep sink and not follow the proper handwashing procedures of rinse, soap, rinse and turn off handle with paper towel. Observed employee wash single use gloves in the hand sink. RCA: Food employees shall use the following cleaning procedure in the order stated to clean their hands and exposed portions of their arms (i) Rinse under clean, running warm water; (ii) Apply an amount of cleaning compound recommended by the cleaning compound manufacturer; (iii) Rub together vigorously for at least 10 to 15 seconds while: (I) Paying particular attention to removing soil from underneath the fingernails during the cleaning procedure, (II) Creating friction on the surfaces of the hands and arms or surrogate prosthetic devices for hands and arms, finger tips, and areas between the fingers (iv) Thoroughly rinse under clean, running warm water; (v) Immediately follow the cleaning procedure with thorough drying using disposable paper towels, a continuous towel system, or a heated-air hand drying device. Observed wiping cloths not sitting in proper bleach sanitation levels of 50-100 PPM. when tested concentration was reading at 0 PPM. CA: PIC remade solution and it reached proper PPM levels RCA: Cloths in-use for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces shall be held between uses in a chemical sanitizer solution at a concentration specified under DPH Rule 511-6-1-.05(6)(n). Observed multiple clean containers to be stored upright and not protected from overhead contamination. CA: PIC inverted all containers. RCA: Items shall be stored covered or inverted.

Fast and Fresh Tacos & Burgers, 4305 MONTGOMERY ST., SAVANNAH, GA 31405, 84

Inspector Notes: Observed hand sink water temperature unable to reach 85 F. RCA: Ensure all hand sink water temperatures reach at least 85 F at all times. (Base of Operation violation) Observed raw eggs and raw beef patties stored above RTE foods. COS: PIC taught staff how to re-arrange walk-in. All items were re-arranged by cook temperature. CA: All raw food items shall be stored by cook temperatures and separated from RTE foods. Observed single-use items (Styrofoam cups, and plastic lids) to be stored directly on the floor in storage area. RCA: PIC shall move single-use items at least 6 inches off the floor. CA: All single-use items shall be stored in a way that prevents contamination and must be stored at least 6 inches off the floor. Observed no hot water in the mobile unit. Water heater not operational at time of inspection. RCA: Ensure water heater is repaired and is able to supply hot water to all sinks.

New China Restaurant, 105 SE HWY 80 POOLER, GA 31322, 82

Observed raw shrimp stored above containers of soy sauce and oyster sauce in prep top cooler in front. Observed raw chicken stored above raw shrimp in walk in cooler. COS: PIC properly stored raw shrimp to prevent contamination in walk in and prep top cooler. Observed cooked chicken stored on countertop without temperature control holding temperature above 41F. COS: PIC discarded food items.

Taqueria and Tequila Bar, 125 FOXFIELD WAY POOLER, GA 31322, 80

Inspector Notes: Observed that PIC did not have current ServSafe certificate and was unable to answer several questions regarding food safety within the operation. Observed critical violations within the food operation (4-2A, 6-2A). Observed chicken, shrimp, and sausage stored uncovered in bottom of prep-top cooler. COS: PIC instructed staff to cover all items before placing back in unit. Observed several TCS foods in bottom of prep-top cooler and inside of walk-in cooler in main kitchen cold-holding above 41F (see temperature log). COS: PIC stated items placed in prep-top unit 2 hours prior. Items were placed on ice bath to rapidly cool. PIC stated items in walk-in cooler had been in unit more than 4 hours. Items were discarded. PIC stated walk-in cooler was left open for a period prior to inspection. Ambient temperature inside walk-in unit at time of inspection verified to be at 41F. PIC instructed to monitor internal temperature over next several hours to verify unit is holding at proper temperature. Observed several containers in ware washing area to be wet and not allowed to air dry before employee stacked them in clean dish area. RCA: After cleaning and sanitizing, equipment and utensils: 1. Shall be air-dried or used after adequate draining before contact with food; and

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