The city of Chattanooga is applying for up to $550,000 in federal funds to redevelop property in the South Chattanooga community of Alton Park in hopes of creating a greenway and allowing for the development of a business that may add up to 50 new jobs, Maria Noel, manager of community revitalization for The Enterprise Center said.
If awarded, the grant will permit redevelopment of an 85-acre tract of land that will incorporate construction of a new industrial business, along with creating public access to green spaces that will eventually become recreation sites in the heart of this community, she said.
The proposed project, to be located in the 400 block of Workman Road and extend to the 1000 block of 38th Street, is in the vicinity of the former Tennessee Products (Chattanooga Coke and Chemical) site and Chattanooga Creek.
Its development will support additional revitalization activities that are taking place in Alton Park, including a proposed new health center, Ms. Noel said.
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Multi-Purpose Pilot Grant was recently announced, with applications sought for assessment and clean-up of brownfields. A brownfield is property whose redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.
The grant is available to governments that have previously received brownfields grants and will be awarded this summer to one community in EPA’s Region 4, which encompasses eight states.
Community input will be sought during a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m. in the Bethlehem Community Center, 200 West 38th St.
Copies of the grant also will be available for review at the Bethlehem Center and the offices of The Enterprise Center, 1250 Market St., Suite 3020.