xtianpoop

Anyone make it to the public input meeting for the Miller Park district? I wasn't able to, but here is the latest from the internet (as it goes). 3D mock-up of stage area to far left. Cafe mock-up below. Both are enlarged, with the intact park in the background. Does this cafe remind anyone else of Shake Shack?

Agreed. It's been diversifying fast coming out of recession. This multimodal push and well-rounded transportation is going to continue to draw a crowd. I believe the 2014 est was at 173k (not much beyond 2013 est), but since there has been more housing construction completed + the annexation (6500 I believe?) off Hwy 58 towards Harrison. By 2015 est, we should be right until Knoxville's thumb. Maybe 180-183k. I'm sure we'll hemorrhage Knoxville some because, if for anything, we have much better urban planning, including transportation. When I was in school there, I remember how much more painful it was to travel in the city.

While I really want to discuss the mass transportation needs, wants, and woes in Chattanooga, I would also like to see some life brought to this board, and this includes discussions away from residential development and pictures. TRANSPORTATION CENTER The Multi-modal Transportation Center Study wrapped up its public input this Thursday at the Choo Choo. I was unable to go, but from published photos, you can see one of the sites over at Broad & Main: Other potential site locations, according to WTVC U.S. Pipe and the Choo Choo. U.S. Pipe certainly has opportunity, but through talking to some I know, not only are the residential plans moving forward off the S. Broad spot, but the Lookouts are unofficially eyeing the area. I like the idea of the center being downtown, but I am privy to it being in midtown, off central somewhere between Bailey and McCallie. U.S. Pipe plans from the past, now getting renewed attention from Southside rebuild, Cameron Harbor, economy picking up, & Riverwalk extension. Past plans: COMPLETE STREETS Efforts have been underway to increase complete streets in the city. We already have a pretty successful bike share system downtown, but recently bike lanes have been added or improved. Veterans Bridge had the lane solidified to meet up to Barton Ave, N Market was just narrowed to two lanes with bike lanes each direction painted, Broad Street currently is having curbs put up to protect the new lanes, and Cherokee may potentially be getting protected lanes. These efforts are to follow into the city. Hwy 158 has been undergoing sidewalk additions, and East Ridge is currently working on their own street improvements. LIGHT RAIL Hold onto your seats, ladies and gentlemen, because Chattanooga may have a LR coming soon. Compared to other cities, the cost for the LR - using preexisting rails and creating a few new miles of track - will just be pennies in the bucket. From my understanding, support is being sought before they formally begin the process. The LR could change many things for the city. Most notably, class mobility as transportation has been a huge problem for the inner city community. Though with the cheap land and convenient transportation, we could see a lot more gentri Central -> Missionary Ridge, which would confound the problem. Side note: Proponents for national rail travel have highlighted Chattanooga as one of the key pieces to the puzzle. The ATL-CHA high-speed rail conversation has gone on for years, most recently being determined not 'feasible,' but the CHA hub is still important. With Chattanooga getting rail, there's a possible extension outside of the city. Cleveland, Collegedale are two locations, but Nashville would be a consideration. Here is the overall map to see how CHA would play a part. MIA -> CHI route AIR We cannot forget the record growth the CHA airport has been having. Parking is currently under expansion, new routes (direct -> LGA and IAH), cheap fares, and new aviation company planting roots. Great to see the airport better serving the community (and poaching N ATL customers). We would all love parking decks at Lovell Field, but we also all know there isn't near enough a demand for that. Down the road, for sure. Maybe when another terminal opens after we eclipse 400-550k enplanements. UNRELATED INFRASTRUCTURE TN legislators are still upset about the FCC knocking down state line restrictions for municipal broadband, but these battles could be over pretty soon. EPB is being a nice service and not expanding out of their 600 sq mile area, even if they lawfully are able to now. Interesting to note, if only economically. Infrastructure is infrastructure, and currently Chattanooga has one of the smartest grids in the world. I think this just about covers it? Outside of course our electric shuttles downtown, which I hope they eventually expand further as the density increases outside the core of Riverfront-City Center districts. I love Nashville, and though Chattanooga has a long way to go to reach its congestion (though the city is a major US thoroughfare, especially with freight traffic), I am glad to see the city playing the long game by working to deal with traffic issues through multi-modal & complete street initiatives until we have to, like with Nashville. Urban (& smart) planning are always draws to tourists - look to Philadelphia, Boston - so this type of proactive growth can further have impacts on our growing hospitality industry. It already has (think Vanguard) in many different ways, but density and transportation has a way of strengthening a city's growth all its own. What do you think about where the city is going?

Parking semantics begin. http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/9/1/307320/Developer-Says-CARTA-To-Lease-75.aspx Quick read on specs: $14m price tag, 26 on-site "first come, first serve" parking spaces, 84 new units, 14k sq ft retail across the three sides ground level (corner, center, wing), 4 two-bedroom units at $1625, then $925-$975 for the 40 studio units and 40 one bedroom units across the 5-story build. Expecting full leasing by the time construction is completed. Here is a new rendering of the VHG apartment going up between the SunTrust building at Market & Frazier and the SBDC incubator on Cherokee: On the note of parking and infill, here is a link to the FBC charrette with some pretty cool facts, statistics, and infill projections. Pages 52 & 58 are the renderings of what the North Shore and Riverfront districts could look like. What a dream that aesthetic density would look like! https://codestudio.opencomment.us/cha-fbc-charrette-summary-report

Found these photos of future developments in the new Innovation District. Will continue to see if I can find harder information on these.

FINALLY some word about the Westin Hotel, and to lesser extent, the Bank Building hotel. The Westin has been on radar since 2008, with pop-ups in 2009, 2012, and 2013. Glad to see it moving forward, as little as information we received. "Work on a proposed 200-room Westin hotel in downtown Chattanooga's so-called Gold Building is slated to start this fall, an official said Thursday." Found the plans from way-back-when. Curious to see if these are still relevant. *Image not attaching, so I'm linking to architect site. On a side note, if anyone can locate the plans for the 728 Market tower or the Bank Building, I would certainly be in your debt. Having trouble locating.

N Market St this week was taken down to two lanes with bicycle lanes on each side. From W Manning at Publix up to Dallas. I guess it could be part of this project from 2002. I'm curious when Frazier will move towards that way. In the next two decades, I could see Frazier closing to all motor vehicle traffic. Up the street from this I finally caught the name of the development carved into the giant hill of Dallas. "Cottages at Normal Park." Could only find site plans. Density is a plus, and this stretch of Dallas is due for new life. We'll just have to wait and see what they do with the houses. 19 single family cottages.

VW welcome center to be on the riverfront, but not a HQ like in Franklin. It's to be more in the fashion of what BMW has in upstate SC. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/jan/19/riverfront-eyed-welcome-center/283385/ I see it as a mix of advertising and museum. Really curious about the concept. "Welcome center" is dangerously vague.

Thanks! I'd definitely consider it. Especially once the summer wears down. I was a little disappointed by the estimates for 2014, but with the Harrison annexation (I think 6900 for the stretch), plus all the new development downtown alone, we should have a decent domestic push in the city numbers. Unsure of metro growth exceeding so far, minus North Georgia with their industry growth. Cameron Harbor on the Riverfront sold through phase i pretty quickly, which prompted them to purchase the older building off Molly Lane for an interesting apartment loft, coffee shop/retail situation adjacent to their 11 acres. I'm unsure of who holds it, but there is a small piece of land between the hotel and their 11 acres, that I think they're essentially holding as bait to have someone develop it to boost and complement their own. This holds high potential for condos, definitely. On the North Shore, I believe the land on the riverfront next to 1 North Shore is certainly to have some condos in the next build, now that the Casey barge is away and the city is actively working to develop it. The potential there is quite high, and I can't help but think to Northern Kentucky with their glass build facing downtown Cincy. I won't be too gratuitous, but I would like to see an interesting, mid- to high-rise architecturally distinct piece on the property. They would be missing a huge chance, otherwise, considering the frame built on the Riverfront with the two Cathedrals of Conservation (TN Aquarium + expansion) and the amphitheater abut. (Not to mention the expected modern look of the VW Welcome Center teased at being located in that district. If that holds true, there are only so many parking lots to assume development.) Speaking of parking lots, I see condos being in 3 other places. Behind Unum between the two decks is a parking lot. The idea has been for that to be residential with park or courtyard, and some retail and eateries. Proximity alone, and the prime selection of property- it's easy to surmise that the development will be condominiums. It would not make sense otherwise. Then you've the Choo Choo acreage as posted above. Finally, I could see a few condos being included in the Lupton City redevelopment where the plant used to be. Plenty of potential and demand. LC, to me, marks the end (or the frontier) of the North Shore, North Chatt push. I tease and say "gentrification frontier," but really if you consider amenities, proximity, and costs...it's the natural move after Riverview has priced out. They're trying so hard to develop near there that they're even trying to wedge a neighborhood off of the S curves.

Stemming from development announcements, I wanted to touch on office vacancy and demand. North Shore has popped up again with office spaces being developed - especially on Cherokee Blvd, and the Southside has had some small-scale infills recently, especially along E Main St. City Center is getting some attention finally, what with the 10-story res tower with office space on the first two floors (I believe the sq ft actually bests neighboring SunTrust building, but I could be misinterpreting). The old Krystal HQ is being redone with 3 relocations (2 from Southside), and the 10-story Edney Building is being filled by Co.Lab, the Enterprise Center, TVA for a few more years, and co-working spaces. Then the 5-story building between Market and Broad is being renovated as well, with Decosimo relocating its entire office. (The space left is already being filled by Regus.) Vacancy has slowly been dropping in the central city, but I believe it is about to tip. The tipping point with infill and residential development. The 10-story "Gold Building" off Chestnut has been sitting on Chatt's vacancy, distracting from new office builds. It has, however, been involved with a live deal since 2008 to be turned into a Westin Hotel. I couldn't find details on this outside a rendering, but through word with someone who deals in private capital in the city, the deal has been affirmed ongoing. The Beaux-Arts MacLellan building on Broad, long sitting largely vacant, finally kicked the bucket with the Indigo Hotel deal and is in the process of being turned into residential living, as is the 4-5 story brick vacant brick building sitting behind its neighbor, the James Building, facing Chestnut. Lastly, the 10-story Bank Building on 8th - long vacant - is potentially turning into a hotel, as well. Point being, these 3 massive redevelopments - MacLellan, Bank, and Gold - in the Central City turning its long vacant office spaces into hotel and residential accomodations will shoot the office vacancy downtown to the floor. Albeit, with the new 728 Market development and those mixed-used around other districts in CBD (Northshore, MLK, Southside), the available office space will still be alive, but it begs the question. What next? I'm fairly new to the forum, so please 1) let me know if I need more links, 2) forgive me if this doesn't remain relevant to this thread. I feel office vacancy and potential redevelopment classifies in the rebirth (especially since last main blowout was Republic in 70s/80s cusp) of downtown, and 3) note that I don't ask "What next?" to spur speculation of skyscrapers like many threads go, but rather further create a dialogue about downtown development, especially in regards to infill, districts, and height zoning (lot of 2-3 story building in the heart of the City Center). Aaaaaaaand go! P.S. 2014 River City Co report on downtown CHA study, looking at different development opportunities. Interesting to boot. http://www.rivercitycompany.com/new/pdf/River City Company Downtown Chattanooga Study Report Only January 2014.pdf

I believe it's just a restaurant and Class-A office space above it, not apartments. Good news, nonetheless.

Chattanooga, TN is looking towards getting a light rail. The city is known to be a rail city from the boom years, and as such as a lot of in-ground infrastructure to support the conversion to light rail transit. Price tag is between $35m-$41m for 20+ miles in downtown and the inner city. The city traditionally had great transit, but abandoned rail cars in the 60's for buses. Today it only has buses, free electric shuttles downtown, and one passenger rail up the side of Lookout Mountain. Reasons for light rail (at least for selling the idea) would be to connect downtown to the airport, to provide transportation in the inner city (which is a huge problem currently), and to possibly connect to other systems (nearby Cleveland, TN, Nashville, and Atlanta) in the future. At the moment, the city is working through several studies, one recently stated a bullet train from Chattanooga to Atlanta wouldn't be feasible. The next 1-2 years will be the PR years selling the idea. Hopefully it should come through. Here is one article from last year: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/may/04/all-aboard-chatt-eyes-35-million-light-rail-system/139171/

First rendering available for 728 Market St 10-story residential tower with office and retail on the bottom (and a "gentrified" alleyway) http://nooga.com/170386/apartments-planned-for-vacant-lot-downtown/