Over the past 30 years, Chattanooga has made significant strides in reinvigorating its riverfront and downtown neighborhoods. This vision was originally made possible through the Moccasin Bend Task Force which formed and released the Tennessee Riverpark Master Plan in 1985 — a project which would serve as the engine for economic development by reconnecting the city and Tennessee River.
This plan helped develop the first 13 miles of the Tennessee Riverwalk, followed by the Tennessee Aquarium in 1992. Throughout the 1990s, other riverfront staples were also developed or improved, including the Walnut Street Bridge, Hunter Museum, Creative Discovery Museum, IMAX Theatre and AT&T Field.
Building on this momentum, River City Company and the City of Chattanooga partnered to create the 21st Century Waterfront Master Plan. By 2006, the project had successfully redeveloped 129 acres along the river — creating 83 acres of open space and infrastructure, and 46 acres of mixed-use development.
In 2020, community partners envisioned the next evolution of Chattanooga’s waterfront by launching ONE Riverfront Chattanooga. A key feature of this eight-step plan being to “boldly connect downtown” through redeveloping Broad Street.
During the ONE Riverfront planning process, community members voiced a strong desire to develop a comprehensive and visionary plan for Broad Street — the corridor connecting Chattanooga’s downtown and riverfront neighborhoods.
“Broad Street serves downtown as the primary linkage of key areas including City Center, Southside and the Riverfront District. Through the ONE Riverfront planning process, we saw opportunities to enhance cultural assets and re-focus the street to be a people-oriented, public space that will support the revival and future strength of our downtown,” Emily Mack, president and CEO, River City Company says.
Through an urban planning project titled Reimagining Broad Street, community partners seek to address many issues across Chattanooga’s downtown sector. Reimagining Broad Street will utilize a block-by-block, urban design analysis to enhance multimodal transportation, integrate green infrastructure, and create economic opportunities, among other objectives.
Now through November 30, River City Company, City of Chattanooga and Chattanooga Design Studio seek community feedback through an online questionnaire that will guide improvements on Broad Street from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Aquarium Way.
Over the next few months, River City Company and the Chattanooga Design Studio will also engage community members through design charrettes, lunchtime listening sessions, online forums and neighborhood and organization meetings.
Learn more and take the online questionnaire at BroadStreetCha.com.
More information on upcoming events is also available, here.
