Members of the Form Based Code committee on Thursday had design issues with an eight-story Drury Plaza Hotel planned at the longtime downtown site of the Sportsbarn.
A group of Drury officials near the close of the meeting agreed to defer the application and come back with an amended design.
The Sportsbarn closed in 2023 after 44 years at the site at 301 Market St.
The Sportsbarn operated in the historic brick streetcar barns at the site.
The Car Barns date to 1887 and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The offices and Car Barns were designed by architect R.H. Hunt.
Drury officials indicated the Car Barns will be razed and it will be "all-new construction."
David Hudson, committee member, said, "We want the development. We do not want to stop the development, but you have one of the most prominent sites in Chattanooga and we want it done right."
Thomas Palmer, also on the committee, said, "The intent of the code is that we not have a suburban hotel in our downtown. I take real issue with the design on Broad Street."
The hotel design has front doors at Market and Third.
Committee members took most issue with the Broad Street design lack of fenestration (design of windows and doors).
Committee member Lee Helena said if windows are added on the west side (Broad Street) looking toward Lookout Mountain and Cameron Hill, "You should be able to charge a lot more for those rooms."
The service entrance was placed on Broad Street. Jimmy Williamson, chairman, said that makes sense since it lines up with the adjacent service entrance on the Lifestyle Building.
Committee member Alex Reyland said updates to Broad Street are underway and it is planned as the main pedestrian downtown artery, with Market Street the main transit artery.
Board members also said a planned vertical sign at the front is very large. As designed, it is 5'x20'.
Officials said that is the same size that was approved in Nashville downtown and as the new Drury that just opened on Shallowford Road by I-75.
Parking will be across Market Street at the two-story former Sportsbarn parking site that goes back to Cherry Street.
Helen Burns Sharp, speaking as a member of the Downtown Collective, said the group of homeowners had no issue with the project.