Upper East River Home Was Worth the Wait

- by

Kathryn Drury Wagner

With a sweeping view of the Savannah River, this luxury condo embodies the finest in waterfront living. 

Written by KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
Photography by ANDREW FRAZIER

PATIENCE IS ITS OWN REWARD, AS THE SAYING GOES. And for Joellen Cooper-Pyles and Victor Deen, their patience has manifested in a beautiful riverfront luxury condo.  

In February of 2025, the couple moved into The Mayors building in the Upper East River neighborhood. It’s a penthouse-style building where each of the five residences spans the entire floor, and an elevator opens directly into each foyer. They were the first to move into the building; as of writing, the other residences were still being completed. 

Creating this stunning home required some vision for the couple: They went under contract five-and-a-half years ago, before The Mayors was even built. Construction alone took four years. At last, they can savor their own waterfront retreat. 

They agree the views are the best part of their new home, which has 75 feet of floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding doors, and a private terrace, all offering expansive sights of the river and its denizens, including massive cargo ships gliding past and lively dolphins playing. 

There’s always something to behold, notes Deen, “whether that’s when we wake up in the morning and open the curtains, or at night with the city lights. And you never know what color the Plant Riverside stacks are going to be.” (The landmark is often lit in different hues, such as green for St. Patrick’s Day.) 

Even Sassy the cat enjoys watching the birds swoop past, reports Cooper-Pyles, a tiny dynamo who sounds uncannily like Dolly Parton. 

A walnut table in the dining room by Jupe has wedges that slide out to reveal storage underneath.

The home represents a fresh chapter for the couple, who just celebrated their 10th anniversary in May. It’s a second marriage for both: Cooper-Pyles lost her first husband in 2012 to cancer, and Deen lost his wife in 2013 after an accident. Fate brought them together at a homeowners association gathering in their former neighborhood, Causton Bluff.

Melinda Martin Bailey, an associate broker with Seabolt Real Estate, not only helped the couple purchase the condo but also collaborated with Cooper-Pyles on the interior design decisions, drawing from her talents as a decorator. She and Cooper-Pyles share a special bond and have been doing business together for 25 years. 

The hidden pantry, accessed via a “cabinet” in the kitchen, is spacious and organized.

“When Joellen first looked here, six years ago, we knew she could curate the home, but the lifestyle was a big factor,” says Bailey. “They are very, very social people. I tell my clients all the time, we can find a house for you anywhere, but you’re looking for both a living space and a lifestyle that suits your needs.”

The convenience of living in the Upper East River neighborhood appealed to Cooper-Pyles and Deen, who love that they can pop over to a restaurant at the nearby Thompson Savannah or easily stroll into downtown.  

“This building is a unique build for the builder,” says Bailey. “There aren’t three more going up.” That sometimes took patience but also provided opportunity. Because she was involved from day one of the building’s development, Cooper-Pyles was able to have a say in several aspects of the home. And some of her suggestions to the architect were even incorporated into the broader design of The Mayors, including large storage units in the garage, seamless smart-home systems, and sliding doors that open more widely, improving that already stellar river view. 

In the primary suite, the refinished rocking chairs in the bedroom originally belonged to Cooper-Pyles’ mother.

Atlanta-based Patrick Malloy Communities led development for the Upper East River. “The Mayors building was originally designed and inspired by the great luxury hotels that you would find in high-density urban environments within cool, old cities in the U.S.,” says company founder Patrick Malloy. “I think that is exactly what we have achieved.” His vision is for the area to feel as if it had evolved over 100 years — a part of the fabric of the city of Savannah, rather than a brand-new addition.

The three-bedroom, four-bathroom home has 10-foot-high ceilings and an open floor plan that further adds to a sense of spaciousness and possibility. The interior décor blends both traditional and contemporary elements.

The primary bathroom has an enormous shower enclosure as well as a freestanding bathtub.

“It’s a beautiful aesthetic but also a very comfortable aesthetic,” says Bailey. “The goal was not to make it look cookie cutter, like an ad. It was to curate the right space for that footprint. So, we continued to add things that complemented the environment.” 

Bailey and Cooper-Pyles spent years sourcing for the condo. “When it all came together, some of it was stuff Victor had never seen,” says Cooper-Pyles with a laugh.  

“I was like, what’s this in this box?” says Deen. But he loves the resulting look.  

One of the guest rooms features art by Bellamy Murphy.
The hall powder room
This guest room has cabinets with a sewing machine that can rise up when needed; Cooper-Pyles enjoys sewing. The green glass light is from Currey & Co.

As a couple, Deen and Cooper-Pyles enjoy sampling wines, spending time with friends, and exploring art galleries and museums. Cooper-Pyles, now retired from the dental industry, loves to sew, and both she and Deen are passionate collectors. Deen, a native Savannahian and Georgia Power retiree, has a soft spot for coin collecting. “To me, they are little pieces of art,” he says.

The interior of their home “blends the old and new,” says Cooper-Pyles. And there’s always something to explore visually, too, such as displays of ancient arrowheads and a collection of Indian clubs, or bell clubs. These wooden clubs (picture a slender, wooden bowling pin) were popular during the Victorian era, when a fitness wave had men and women alike swinging the clubs in pursuit of physical and mental health. Cooper-Pyles started collecting those in 2002 with her late husband. “They are like folk art,” she says, “very sculptural.” 

Homeowners Joellen Cooper-Pyles and Victor Deen

But the showstopper is the premier collection of stoneware, presented in a gallery-like setting in the front hall of the home. The display shelving concept was another distinctive addition to the home that was then used for other residences in the building. 

“Incorporating the pottery was great,” observes Bailey, “because it created a unique environment, and it has the personal story behind it. It’s a unique collection and something so beautiful.” 

 The collection features glazed pottery made in Crawford County, Georgia. The jugs were used to hold liquor and are signed with stamps on the handles to differentiate which artisan had made which jug, since multiple makers might be firing their pieces at the same time.  

Cooper-Pyles and Deen’s home features work by two 19th-century potters, including a fifth-great-grandfather of Cooper-Pyles’ first husband. Thomas Jackson Piles (spelled with an “i” at the time; the family later changed it to a “y”) was one of the pre-eminent jug makers of his era and locale, which was known for its potteries. The second artisan featured in their collection is Washington “Wash” Becham. Becham created vessels that are of a rounder, cannonball-like shape, while Piles made beehive-shaped jugs. Similar Crawford County examples can be found in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, including a double-handled whiskey jug made by Fate Becham, the son of Wash Becham. 

The patio area has a dining table and chairs, as well as a separate seating area for conversation and a gas fireplace for chilly weather.

While they have become desirable art objects, these were originally utilitarian pieces, notes Cooper-Pyles. She recalls hearing her grandparents talking about their grandparents using this kind of vessel. 

“It’s fabulous art in both our eyes,” says Cooper-Pyles. “Victor loves history. And we both love that it’s Georgia history. We were both raised in Georgia and lived here our whole lives.”  

Now that the home is complete, the two can sit back and enjoy the home’s carefully curated interior and that tremendous view, knowing that their patience was indeed a virtue.

DETAILS

July-August 2025 cover of Savannah Magazine

This feature and so much more in the July/August 2025 issue of Savannah magazine.

BUY NOW
Avatar photo

Kathryn Drury Wagner

savannah magazine logo

© 2026 Savannah Magazine

Contact Us

Media Kit

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

Terms of Service