As significant new investments affect downtown Chattanooga in new and exciting ways, the Chattanooga Design Studio is working with industry experts and residents to produce a Civic Center District Plan to guide the future development of the Civic Center District (bounded north-south by 5th Street and 13th Street and east-west by Highway 27 and Houston Street), said officials.
Around 200 Chattanoogans met at Miller Plaza on Monday to discuss ideas with urban design consultants and share their opinions regarding the future of downtown Chattanooga. This was the first step in the six-month process of creating a unified plan for the region’s Civic Center District that will include a wide range of urban design recommendations, the implementation of a shared community vision, and both long-term and short-term opportunities for key sites and blocks within the District.
“The Chattanooga Design Studio exists to ensure urban development happens efficiently and intentionally so our city is a place we all can be proud of,” said Eric Myers, executive director of the Chattanooga Design Studio. “We’re grateful to the public for sharing their vision for the future of our Civic Center District and look forward to continuing this dialogue as we turn our neighbor’s ideas into plans.”
The next step in creating the Civic Center District Plan will be a large public charrette in August, followed by another invitation for the public to provide input to the “work in progress” plan in September. The final Plan will be released this fall.
The Plan is being driven by an 11-person steering committee and an engaged consultant team composed of Sasaki, a global integrated design firm; Tinker Ma, a local architecture, interior design and planning firm; Erika Roberts, a local creative strategist and community healer; and James Lima Planning + Development, an urban economic strategist firm.