[2] The aging MLK Jr Arena proved to be too small to attract bigger acts and the repairs needed to bring the facility up to code were too costly.

In June 2019, the council voted to demolish the entire civic center to create more green space in accordance with "The Oglethorpe Plan."

[4] A campaign to "Save the Mercer" theater inside the Civic Center has been initiated by a longtime Savannah resident, Paul Mazo.

Mazo told a local TV station that city officials indicated a preservation campaign will "open the door to some [needed] community discussion.

[8] In June 2024, the Savannah city council voted 7–1 in favor of demolishing the MLK Jr Arena and renovating the Johnny Mercer Theatre, ballroom and community meeting spaces at an estimated net cost of $90 to $120 million.