Chattanooga receives $2 million for Westside Evolves Plan

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Biden Administration has allocated more than $47 million to the state of Tennessee for infrastructure projects. Chattanooga will receive $2 million, which will go toward the Community-Led Reconnection of the Westside Neighborhood in Chattanooga.

The grant comes from the Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity program.

Chattanooga will use this money to conduct design studies to implement transportation recommendations from the Westside Evolves Plan.

The Westside Evolves Plan will revitalize the James A. Henry School and create new affordable and mixed-income housing.

This is meant to combat the feelings of isolation from the rest of Chattanooga caused by Highway 27 and Riverfront Parkway, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

They add that the plan will create two new street connections and broad, site-wide street improvements. It will upgrade safety features of existing connections and add new connections. It will also expand the pedestrian accessibility in this area.

President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the project funding on Wednesday, March 13.

“While the purpose of transportation is to connect, in too many communities’ past infrastructure decisions have served instead to divide. Now the Biden-Harris administration is acting to fix that,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today we are proud to announce an unprecedented $3.3 billion to help 132 communities deliver better infrastructure that reconnects residents to jobs, health care, and other essentials.”

Tennessee received a total of three grants during this round of funding.

The other two grants go to Memphis and Knoxville.