Mayor Andy Berke and Marissa Bell, communication coordinator for Chattanooga Economic and Community Development, tour Miller Park and review plans for revamping the 40-year-old downtown public space.Renovations to downtown's Miller Park are scheduled to begin July 1, City Councilman Erskine Oglesby said during Tuesday night's Chattanooga City Council meeting.
The park work is expected to cost about $8.5 million, according to Chairman Jerry Mitchell. It is set to be complete by July 2018 and is part of a larger project to upgrade the M.L. King district.
The makeover includes plans to build a pedestrian-friendly connection between Miller Park and Miller Plaza - which also will receive a makeover - and renovate M.L. King Boulevard and Patten Parkway. Design plans have yet to be finalized, but the entire project is estimated to cost $13.5 million, Mitchell said.
The project is right on track, with the design process having begun in July 2015 and a completion date set for May 2017, according to the project timeline featured on the website for the city of Chattanooga. Design and construction for Miller Plaza and Patten Parkway will begin this fall and is expected to be finished in the fall of 2018.
Speckman, Mossop and Michaels, a New Orleans-based design firm, drew up the plans for the park, Oglesby said.
The Miller Park upgrade will involve raising the park to street level, the Times Free Press previously reported. It will feature an amphitheater, a garden walk and a rocky outcropping where people can sit or children can climb.
The amphitheater will include a stage for performances, a shaded area for lunches and an enclosed area for fundraisers or parties. Design plans feature restrooms, a storage room and warming pantry for food, and a moveable glass partition that provides the option to host air-conditioned events.
Contact staff writer Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327. Follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.