The Savannah City Council selected a site north of West Gwinnett Street along the Springfield Canal for a new arena Thursday afternoon.
The location was where the arena was expected to go when the project was included on a sales tax referendum in 2006.
Since the referendum, the city has spent funds to acquire property there for the facility.
The location was put in doubt in recent years when city officials began considering other locations for the arena.
Some community leaders of the Cloverdale and Carver Village communities who were counting on the arena to spur economic development recently criticized a city plan to have a consultant study three additional locations, along with the west Savannah site.
City Manager Stephanie Cutter recently recommended that the city council select a location without conducting the study.
Cutter said the move would save money and let voters know where the arena will be built ahead of this November's referendum to extend a 1-percent sales tax for capital projects. The city is seeking to raise an additional $120 million from the tax on top of $22 million that has already been raised for the project.
After taking tour of all four sites, most council members said they favored the west Gwinnett site, since the city owns enough property to accommodate the arena.
The other locations included the Savannah River Landing site, West Bay Street between Indian and Fahm streets, and the existing Civic Center property.
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