Llocal leaders – including Mayors Tim Kelly and Weston Wamp – broke ground on the North River Commerce Center, a new industrial park in Chattanooga featuring 800,000 square feet of Class A commercial, manufacturing, and industrial real estate that will be built on 88 acres surrounding the Kordsa (formerly DuPont) facility.
The industrial park – which will consist of four buildings on three adjacent parcels – is strategically located 10 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, I-75, and I-24. Construction has begun and is expected to be completed by Fall 2023.
“Dirt is moving on this site that will soon be home to thriving businesses that support hundreds of local, good-paying manufacturing, logistics, and order fulfillment jobs,” said Matt Phillips, partner at Rise Partners.
“It takes significant community partnership and coordination to put together transformative projects like this. I cannot thank our team, investors, and local leaders enough for supporting the vision for the North River Commerce Center.”
Mayor Kelly said, “At a time when Chattanooga is emerging as a leader in next generation manufacturing, it’s more important than ever for us to manage smart industrial growth, so we can attract new businesses while ensuring our existing companies have space to expand. The North River Commerce Center will revitalize a long-vacant parcel of Chattanooga’s history with a modern, Class A industrial park, attracting hundreds of living-wage jobs and increasing tax revenue for local schools and infrastructure, all while helping preserve our sustainable future. This is a huge win for Chattanooga, and I’m grateful to City Council, County Commission, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, and Rise Partners for their vision, leadership, and partnership in making today possible.”
County Mayor Wamp said, “Matt and the team at Rise are meeting a critical need for industrial space by reimagining the former home of one of our region’s most important employers. My family is among the countless families in Hamilton County who came here because of quality job opportunities at DuPont decades ago. I look forward to future employment opportunities on this site having the same kind of generational impact on our community.”
Chamber CEO Christy Gillenwater said, “Chattanooga and Hamilton County continue to make the investments that will grow jobs for the future, building on our reputation as a city with the fastest internet at 25 gigs and a reputation for excellence in many sectors – including entrepreneurial startups and innovative manufacturing. Over the last five years, Chattanooga Chamber and partners have worked alongside companies to bring in more than $2 billion in capital investment and more than 5,700 jobs. As we look to build for the future, the North River Commerce Center will play an important role in Chattanooga’s sustained growth trajectory.”