Almost $1 billion in construction is set over the next three years for downtown, the Northshore and the Southside, River City Company president told members of the Downtown Chamber of Commerce.
"It's amazing what we are seeing. And that's on top of $518 million in projects going on now," she said.
Ms. White said the current 1,300 apartments downtown are set to double in three years.
But she said that won't meet the demand since UTC has 12,000 students and just 3,900 beds and with only three percent of the 55,000 people who work downtown living there.
The work will include a make-over of Miller Park that should begin soon along with some improvements at Miller Plaza. There will be new connections between the two.
Nearby, Patten Parkway will also be reshaped, anchored by the Tomorrow Building that is being built at the former Ross Hotel. Ms. White said Patten Parkway will be a gateway connecting UTC to downtown.
She said there was a visioning process in 2013 that identified 21 buildings that needed to be redeveloped. She said projects are underway in 15 of those, including the long-vacant Maclellan Building and Chattanooga Bank Building. The former Elks Building at Seventh and Walnut is also getting new life - with many charming architectural features being uncovered in the process. There is also a revival along Cherry Street between Seventh and Eighth streets.
A major part of the downtown resurgence is centered around Chestnut and Pine streets where Byron and Ken Defoor are converting the former Gold Building to an upscale Westin Hotel and redeveloping the nearby Gilman Building and Citi-Park parking garage.
A new food store just opened at the former Clemons furniture building that was redeveloped for commercial and residential, she noted.
Ms. White said, even with all that development, "We still have a lot of empty spaces."
But with all that is going on, locals and many from afar are discovering that "we live in a fantastic place."