Wayne Cropp
The highlighted route is the lead alternative for an extension of Central Avenue to Riverside Drive. However, an environmental impact study of the shaded area won't be complete until this summer. Results of that study could affect the location of the extension.Planning that could lead to redevelopment of a key 17-acre tract near Erlanger and UTC was kicked off today.
Wayne Cropp, who heads Chattanooga's Enterprise Center, said the reuse of the Cannon/Cumberland Corp. site off Riverside Drive also could serve as a catalyst for economic development involving nearby parcels.
"It's strategically located," he said during a public hearing.
The Enterprise Center is overseeing a $200,000 brownfield study to redevelop the site, where Cannon Equipment and Cumberland Corp. ran an operation for many years before the facility was shut down in July 2012.
The property has been identified as a potential location for extending Central Avenue to Riverside Drive, serving as a more direct link for many motorists to Erlanger and UTC.
An Augusta, Ga., company recently took an option to purchase the site with the idea of putting a mixed use development on the land.
See more in Thursday's Times Free Press.