One Westside TIF Passes County Commission
Some of the plans laid out by developers for the future of the Chattanooga Westside.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- On Tuesday, the Chattanooga City Council passed the One Westside Tax Increment Financing District.
Groundbreaking will begin on the One Westside project after the Hamilton County Commission approved its economic impact plan by a unanimous vote on Wednesday.
However, some residents on the Westside anxiously await what that future will look like for them.
Westside residents like Kenneth Woods and John Henry Giddeons Jr. will be experiencing the One Westside project firsthand over the next couple of years.
Woods reacted, “My reaction to it, there should have something done to it 20 years ago. They’ve had the Westside projects (College Hill Courts) down there for poor people, and that ain’t really a comfortable place to live.”
Its tax increment financing district has passed both the city and county hurdles to begin construction is what is being touted as a win for Chattanooga.
Hamilton County Deputy mayor Cory Gearrin said, “Private-public partnership is a core tenet here in Hamilton County, and this project puts public education, affordable housing, and economic development front and center to achieve these biggest opportunities and challenges.”
Before passing the resolution, there was some discussion by the Commission on the education portion of the project.
The Gateway school site, recently purchased by the county from Blue Cross Blue Shield, has been pushed to become a technical school by county leaders.
However, some commissioners wondered if this is superseding the authority of the county school board.
The commissioner for District 6, David Sharpe, said “You know as they said time and time again that we don’t need additional buildings in Hamilton County Schools, we actually need to reduce the amount of rooftops we have in Hamilton County Schools.”
Despite the discussion over that and confusion over City Council amendments, the Commission went forward unanimously approving the project.
Others voiced their support for the Chattanooga Housing Authority’s (CHA) guidelines they have set forth for the relocation of residents on the Westside during construction of new housing projects.
The commissioner for District 5, Greg Beck, said, “It was clear and distinct to me how they will move the Seniors around.”
The residents of the Westside hope these promises are kept.
Giddeons said, “The low income needs that, living I need that, life I need that, food stamps I need that, to help an older man.”
Woods said, “I don’t trust they’re going to relocate us where we are going to be comfortable and affordable, you know, why can’t we stay where we’re at?”
CHA says that they will be conducting annual surveys, presenting alternative arrangements among other safeguards for residents as the Westside Evolves plan goes into action.
The next step for the TIF district is passing a review of the Industrial Review Board next week.
