Demolition has begun, and eight buildings, including Backus’ trademark pink showroom and mechanical shops, are being razed to make way for the 65,000-square-foot shopping center to be known as Victory Station.
PetSmart also plans to open a store in the center, according to marketing materials. The pet supplier, which already operates a Savannah store on the southside, will occupy almost 14,000 square feet, leaving 15,200 square feet for other tenants.
Additional tenant announcements are expected next month. Alterations to Victory Drive and other streets around the property will also begin next month.
Whole Foods signed on as Victory Station’s anchor tenant in May, ending more than a year of speculation about the specialty food retailer’s future in Savannah. The company’s regional vice president hailed Savannah as a “terrific location” as Whole Foods expands its presence in the Southeast.
The Backus site has been vacant since October 2009 when General Motors revoked the Backus dealership’s franchise agreement as part of larger cost-cutting measures. The Backus family had sold Cadillacs and Pontiacs on the site for 54 years.