At this month's Chattanooga Association of Realtors luncheon are, from left, Steve Champion, CAR president; Lois Killebrew, Chattanooga Realtor and Tennessee Association of Realtors newly-elected president; and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, guest speaker. Click on photo to enlarge.
photo by Irby Park
The city expects to close soon on property that will add 22 acres including a natural wetlands to Coolidge Park, is preparing to demolish the Haney Building to add more downtown parking and has underway an $84 million “huge development” in Alton Park, Mayor Bob Corker told the Chattanooga Association of Realtors (CAR).
Speaking at the Realtors’ monthly luncheon meeting at the Trade Center, attention seems to be focused on the $120 million 21st Century Waterfront Plan, but there are other major developments taking place in Chattanooga.
The first phase of the 1,200-acre $50 million Enterprise South industrial park will open in about a month and Chattanooga is the only community in Tennessee that has “actually gone out and sought to be directly connected with the super computer in Oak Ridge.”
During the luncheon, Realtors recognized Lois Killebrew, owner of Mountain City Realtors on Signal Mountain, who was elected this month as president of the Tennessee Association of Realtors for 2004. She was elected and installed at the state convention held at Savannah, Ga.
Also at the luncheon, the Realtors Public Relations Committee presented a check for more than $8,100 to the Realtors Partners in Education for support of the two schools supported by CAR. The funds were raised at the recent CAR Casino Night sponsored by the PR Committee. The two schools are Clifton Hills Elementary in Chattanooga and Stone Creek Elementary in North Georgia.
Mayor Corker said a two-day technology summit had just concluded here centered around the technology corridor extending from North Alabama to southern Virginia. Throughout the corridor, he said, eyes are on Chattanooga. UTC, like no other campus in the UT system, has access to the Oak Ridge super computer.
Chattanooga, he said, was one of 21 communities to get the renewal community designation with programs undertaken in Alton Park, the Southside area and MLK area. “All of those things are coming together to help our community be economically strong.”
For Enterprise South, he continued, a new interchange is to be built that will be a “designated interchange” for the industrial park. Construction is expected to begin next May.
In the development of the riverfront, he said, a number of changes were proposed for Riverfront Parkway, but in discussions with state officials, there appeared a long list of things the state could not do on a state highway. So finally he suggested, “Why don’t you give us the road?” And the reply was, “We can do that.” The governor came to Chattanooga and made the official presentation.
In developing the $120 million riverfront plan, he continued, “not one penny out of our general operating budget is used to make this happen.” The funds, he said, are from a $56 million bond issue in the fall of 2002 and “the unbelievable philanthropy of our people.”
In a series of 74 meetings with individuals and small groups in 90 days, he said, “we were able to raise $47 million from the private sector.” That money was “put together by a whole lot of people writing checks.” With some state funding, in 90 days “we got within $3 million of what we needed.”
For many years, he said, Chattanooga was not even part of the state’s economic effort. But in the last couple of years, with all the local developments, every time an opportunity appears at the state level, Chattanooga is included.
He said it appears Chattanooga may be about to land another “venture capital” firm for the city.
Mayor Corker outlined the various riverfront projects now under way, the four new intersections connecting Riverfront Parkway to downtown and the interstate, The enlarged Tennessee Aquarium, moving and redesigning Riverfront Parkway, creating a parkway linking downtown to an expanding Hunter Gallery, additional condominiums downtown and boater-friendly docks along the river.
The revitalization of the riverfront area, he said, will add 1,200 parking spaces through construction of a parking garage in what is known as the “smokestack lot,” demolition of the Haney Building to become parking and other parking areas being created. The smokestack has been preserved, he said, because it was thought to have historic significance, but it turns out to be the smokestack for the old Kirkman School incinerator.
When the First Street connector is built, he continued, “you will not only be able to walk to the Hunter Museum, but you will be able to see it from the Market Street Bridge.” From the new Tennessee Aquarium building under construction, visitors will be able to look up the hill and see the art gallery which is about to undergo a $20 million addition.
New condominiums will be built along First Street and there will be park areas. A new café is planned for the Hunter. All of this expenditure is on top of the $120 million riverfront plan.
The $30 million Aquarium addition will include a glass top filled with thousands of butterflies, the mayor said. Butterflies will be flying all around and “landing on you,” he added.
In the present Aquarium, the largest display is a 40,000-gallon fresh-water tank. The addition will have a 500,000-gallon saltwater tank including sharks and other big fish.
In the Ross’s Landing area, “the whole area is being totally changed.” Not only is the road being narrowed to a two-lane road, but it is being moved closer to the river and will go under the Olgiati Bridge one bay closer to the river.
The marina will include a restaurant on the water and along the waterfront will be places for boaters to dock. A developer from Atlanta plans to build condominiums between BellSouth Park and Riverfront Parkway.
Incorporated in the plans are features designed for the Riverbend Festival including electrical and other connections so that Riverbend can move into the area, “plug in and play.” Other groups including the Chattanooga Symphony have expressed an interest in using the facilities at other times during the year.
A walkway will be built under the road so that visitors can actually walk from Market Street beside the bridge and Aquarium addition to the waterfront. That will be the location for celebrating the Trail of Tears and will provide access to view such things as a regatta planned for 2005.
Boat slips will have power, water and any necessary hookups to access downtown. The Haney Building next to the Bijou Theater will be demolished in the next two or three weeks and will provide parking space. Mayor Corker said he expects that site eventually to be a parking garage with retail space on the ground level.
The Roper property across the river provides the opportunity for a wetlands park with “a tremendous amount of wildlife.” The back closer to Manufacturer’s Road will be an expansion of Coolidge Park and the front along the river will be the wetlands park and a walkway at the water’s edge.
Mayor Corker said efforts are being made along Manufacturer’s Road to incorporate a design that will be appealing to people and at the same time leave in place those industrial operations that make the quality of life better for the people who work there.
Susan Fessler, left, who chairs the Chattanooga Realtors Public Relations Committee, presents a check for more than $8,100 to the Realtors Partners in Education representatives Melonie Carideo and Tammy Martin. Click on photo to enlarge.
photo by Irby Park