County proposing making parking garage adjacent to courthouse free outside of business hours

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County may be making a downtown parking garage free after hours and on the weekend.

This garage is located between the county courthouse and courts building between Cherry and Walnut Streets.

The Hamilton County owned parking garage next to the Hamilton County Courthouse.

The county owns the garage, and is often filled during business hours.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp says the garage is barely used outside of business hours, only generating about five thousand dollars in revenue a year in off peak hours.

Mayor Wamp said, “We think for this part of town it would be an economic boost. Having grown up in Hixson, whether it was true or not, the perception has been for 20 years since downtown Chattanooga was revitalized, that it is too hard or too expensive to park.”

The garage would be free after 5 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Commission will vote on this proposal next week.

As a reminder that meeting will be the first meeting to held in the evenings, starting at 4 p.m.