Today most people, when they visit Savannah’s River Street, think that the Belgian block street paving, shade trees with benches and mile-long brick Riverwalk have always been there.  The truth is that they were the vision of Bob Gunn and Eric Meyerhoff, two local architects that convinced then Mayor John Rousakis not to make a riverfront parking lot, but rather a place for people to gather and share their view of the Savannah River. Completed in 1977, the transformation from mud streets and crumbling wood wharves into a landmark riverfront helped Savannah become one of America’s most famous historic tourism destinations.  Today over 14 Million visitors come here each year.  Gunn & Meyerhoff (now GMShay) also designed many of River Street’s restaurants and historic inns.  More recently our firm has designed the bookend hotels that frame the eastern and western ends of the street, and the new connections between the high bluff of Bay Street and the waterfront with public elevators and monumental stairways, making it all safe and accessible.