Chattanooga improving land around the airport

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The Chattanooga airport is continuing to grow and so is the area around it.

News 12s Kaylee Nix got a first look at the city’s plans to create a thriving space for travelers right out the airport doors.

The city of Chattanooga presented a comprehensive plan to develop three areas right by Lovell Field airport.

“There was a market study, we looked at traffic patterns and accident rates.. we looked at land use patterns and trends to come up with an overall development strategy for this area.”

The plan targets three “catalytic site recommendations which the city says are specific locations that could jump start growth nearby once development begins.

“By taking on this catalytic site approach, the first one looking at Jubilee drive and Lee Highway, I think there’s an opportunity to create another destination on Lee Highway that compliments what’s already happening in the midtown area on the other side of Chickamauga Creek.”

Between the three sites, planned development would include hundreds of thousands of retail square footage, over 200 hotel room spaces, and over 300 residential spaces, but that’s in the long run.

The near-term plan includes better traffic flow and pedestrian access to connect the existing areas. Initial budgeting for the project is already at millions of dollars.

“The city always has money for various parts of this; its not one big check for 2.4 million dollars or whatever, in fact this will be a lot more million dollars by the time its done. But we hope to do private and public cooperation and partnerships, there’snot a doubt in my mind that we can come up with it.”

The next step for the project will be presentation to the public. that will happen in a public hearing towards the end of this month.

In Chattanooga, Kaylee Nix News 12 now.