District 8 constituents interested in the Harriet Tubman rezoning and Lincoln Park neighborhood preservation effort can discuss it with their Chattanooga City Council representative this weekend.
Councilman Anthony Byrd will be hosting "Coffee with a Councilman" Saturday at the Carver Recreation Center at 600 N. Orchard Knob Ave. from 10 a.m. until noon. Byrd said he hopes two area dental operations also can attend to provide more financial and health information to those interested about their teeth.
"We were trying to get different hospitals to come in and do wellness checks, too," Byrd said. "Unfortunately, due to scheduling, a lot couldn't make it."
Byrd said he plans to discuss the rezoning of Harriet Tubman, a demolished public housing site that the city purchased in 2014.
During a community meeting earlier this fall, city officials discussed a plan to rezone the property from residential to light industrial with the stated purpose of remaining competitive the next time an economic prospect comes along. Though city officials said they hoped to have the rezoning done by January and felt good about the timeline, community members questioned why the city had made a decision without their input.
Byrd also said he plans to talk about Lincoln Park, a historic park that was the main center of recreation for black citizens who were banned from Engel Stadium and Warner Park during segregation.
Some residents are worried a Central Avenue extension project will adversely affect the area. That plan has been in the works since 2011, but the city didn't hold a public meeting with Lincoln Park residents until early 2013, the Times Free Press previously reported.
The project has been a point of tension ever since, with the city agreeing in 2016 to acquire a portion of the property from Erlanger Health System and work with the community to redevelop Lincoln Park.
According to other local news accounts, the city council approved $2 million in 2017 for this redevelopment. District 8 covers Bushtown, Avondale, and neighbors along Amnicola Highway.
Contact staff writer Zack Peterson at zpeterson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow him on Twitter @zack peterson918.