The city is planning to install 44 non-trailerable transient boat docks at four prominent locations downtown in a $10.7 million project.
Officials said the aim is to make Chattanooga "a highly desirable transient boating destination."
The City Council on Tuesday night is to vote on applying for a $1,350,868 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from its 2013 Tier II Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.
The city portion of the project was listed at $8,784,870.
Officials said the city funding has been approved in the 2013 Parks and Recreation Department capital budget. Under the new Andy Berke administration, Parks and Rec was folded into the new department of Youth and Family Development headed by Lurone Jennings.
Officials said, "The city of Chattanooga’s Riverfront Parkway Project BIG application seeks to meet the broad objective of enhancing the Downtown Chattanooga Riverfront, located along the southern portion of the Tennessee River into a highly desirable transient boating destination.
"To achieve this goal, the city will use the referenced grant funds to build or extend guest dockage at four prominent locations along the downtown south shore of the Tennessee River, namely the Bluff Furnace Historical Park, Ross’ Landing, the Olgiati Bridge, and the Riverfront Parkway Marina for the proposed placement of a total of 44 transient boat slips.
"The city of Chattanooga maintains a consistently strong tourism industry, but is unable to allow visitors and residents to fully utilize its primary historical attraction; the Tennessee River. The currently available dockage is very limited and is located far from the high tourism shore areas:
"1. Transient
"1. Bluff View Dock - publically owned; 6 horizontal tie-ups
"2. Olgiati Bridge Dock - publically owned; 4 horizontal tie-ups
"2. Non-transient
"1. Marine Max - leased marina (long term leases)
"The need for transient dockage has been identified through local community interest, usage rates during large regional and national riverfront events, and identification in the architectural study ‘Ross’ Landing Park Improvements’, by Jones and Jones (March 2012)."