The Regional Planning Agency staff is recommending denial for a rezoning request that seeks a tall building at the corner of Market Street and Aquarium Way (Second Street).
The request by Kronos Capital, which wants to move its headquarters to Chattanooga, lists a planned 12-story building. The rezoning would allow up to 14 stories.
The staff said of the request by Kronos Capital, which wants to move its headquarters to Chattanooga, "The request for a mixed-use building is compatible with the adjacent land uses and Downtown Plan. The proposed downtown context and 14-story building height is not compatible with the adjacent development form or the Downtown Plan goals.
"The heights are taller in the urban core and transition to lower heights closer to the river. The proposed lot size area is small, and a 14-story building will be a larger massed building than what is surrounding the site.The plan also notes that in the central business core, tall buildings are prevalent, and a greater height can be accommodated. The maximum building height in the core should be 200’. Moving outward from the core, the maximum building height should be of a lesser height, 48’, to provide continuity with the lower scale of the residential areas and neighborhood commercial centers. The Downtown Plan identifies the Central Business District (CBD) as being bounded by 4th Street on the
north, 12th Street on the south, Lindsay Street on the east and US 27 on the west. The CBD remains the economic core of downtown Chattanooga."
The RPA staff said within the past five years, there have been three rezonings that enable
higher buildings in the Form-based Code area.
- The Eureka Foundry site was rezoned to D-CX-8 and D-CX-20. The 8.9 acres site is bordered by US 27/I-124, and three street rights-of-way. • D-CX-20 zoned portion abuts the highway right-of-way. There are no existing residential properties adjacent to the zoned site. There is not a development form along the section of W Main St near the site because the W Main St and Hwy 27 right-of-occupies most of the land. Staff report noted that the existing development form matches more of the downtown context area starting at the Convention Center and the Chattanoogan Hotel parking deck and moving south towards the site with the stadium and First Horizon Pavilion.
- The Bend site. Rezoned to B-PK, B-CX-12 and B-CX-20. The 115-acre site overall bounded by river, Riverfront Parkway, W. Martin Luther King, and manufacturing property the south. The B-CX-20 zoned portion is to the southwest of the overall site. There are no existing residential properties adjacent to the zoned site.
- East of Downtown Library. Rezoned to D-CX-20. 1.22 acre site bounded by Market Street, 11th Street, Broad Street and 10th Street. Staff report notes that the surrounding development form consists of urban buildings with heights ranging from three stories
to 12 stories. The closest building to exceed 20 stories is the Republic Centre Building at W. 7th and Pine Street approximately 0.25 miles away. There are no existing residential properties adjacent to the zoned site. Patten Towers to the east across Market Street is
zoned D-CX-12.
The RPA staff said the 200 Market site is 0.69 acres and it abuts the D-RA-4 zone which is the Downtown Residential Attached Zone. Proposed rezoning would extend the 12-story
height allowance up E. Aquarium Way and eastward into a lower-intensity developed and zoned area, it was stated.
Kronos said it wants to build "an architecturally significant 12-story mixed-use building that will serve as a transformative addition to the downtown area."
The plan calls for three retail spaces and a cultural section on the ground floor, with offices and 120 luxury condos above. It would include the Kronos headquarters as well as a coffee shop, gym and spa. A rooftop pool and lounge area would be included. A parking garage with 158 to 180 spaces would be built.
Kronos initially planned to include the 212 Market property as part of the project, but now says that site would not be part of the plan.
The case goes before the Planning Commission next Monday at 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse.