Brainerd debates buoying business

Vacant buildings and a deluge of billboards dot the landscape of Brainerd Road, an area that once was one of Chattanooga's bustling shopping corridors.

Business in the 10,000-resident area that's twice as densely populated as the rest of Chattanooga has faltered for some time, according to area leaders.

But local business owners and members of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's MidTown Council, which promotes a section of the city ranging from the airport to the zoo, want that to change.

IDEAS FOR A TRANSFORMED BRAINERD* Recruit more businesses to the area, with an emphasis on local business* Address challenges regarding public education and crime rates* Reduce amount of billboards and other signage along Brainerd Road* Bring storefronts closer to the street, with landscaping out front and parking in the back* Create more sidewalks* Be more environmentally friendly by providing recycling binsSource: MidTown Council members

During a recent brainstorming session, a group of about 15 merchants and others spoke with officials from CreateHere, a local nonprofit group working to build Chattanooga's cultural economy, about ways to upgrade and beautify the Brainerd area.

"I think we didn't know the mountain we had to climb until today," MidTown Council President Ashley Doherty said after the meeting. "A lot more people are excited about it than we were aware of, but it's a lot bigger project than we imagined."

Helen Johnson and Bijan Dhanani of CreateHere, both Brainerd residents, emphasized changes such as making sidewalks more accessible, addressing crime rates that have been trending upward and reducing billboards, which they refer to as visual clutter.

"It's all here; it's just waiting to tip," Johnson said. "We need to think not just about that space or that space, but think more about what people want."

The group also called upon ideas from the revitalization of Chattanooga's North Shore and Southside communities, trying to find concepts that can be applied to their neighborhood.

Russ Elliott, a leasing agent for Luken Holdings, lived on the North Shore in the 1980s before it experienced its turnaround. He said when he lived there he "never would have thought in a million years" it would be what it is today.

Efforts to make Brainerd more attractive to the eye might bring new businesses into buildings that long have sat empty, he said.

For now, MidTown Council members are working on the next steps, which include getting local government officials and residents on board to take the project to the next level. Doherty said the first obstacle she'd like to tackle is a lack o sidewalks.

"We need to address the walkability issue and then move outward," she said. "We're still in the baby stages of this and need to get people to commit and show up to help."

Upcoming Events