Statesboro leaders make room for tallest building in the city

STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) – A landmark housing development in Statesboro is shaping up a year out from its projected completion date.

The $61 million project is being called Charme on Georgia Avenue.

“Bit by bit that project is coming together,” said Justin Williams, planning and housing administrator for the city of Statesboro.

Williams says it’s the tallest building they have on record, placed in a central location to Georgia Southern University’s campus.

“If you go by the site you’ll see a number of floors,” said Williams. “They’re moving up and up and up. They’ve done a lot of cement pouring and our building officials are keeping a very strong eye on it so we’re excited, I would say that much.”

According to the housing company’s website, it’ll hold 694 beds intended for students. It’ll stretch about six stories tall, with a coffee shop, patio and rooftop pool for residents to enjoy.

Compared to student housing nearby, it’s towards the middle-ranked by capacity.

“It’s utilizing a very, very disused, dis-loved area for a number of years, so it’s removing some blight and adding something awesome for our students and our populace as a whole,” said Williams.

The construction site used to be known as University Plaza, which has stayed mostly as an empty parking lot for years. The bars that were there became the scene of violence, underage drinking and a drug bust, most recently.

“It was not the best-kept piece of property in Statesboro,” said Williams.

He says city leaders are happy to see it morph into something new. Originally, there were plans for a parking garage, which would have been a first for Statesboro.

Williams says that’s something the company is still working out.

Online, the private company says they’ll be ready to house students in time for the 2025-2026 school year.