A year after East Ridge city officials announced a proposed major shopping complex off Interstate 75, the City Council has taken the next small steps toward breaking ground.
Chattanooga-based developers Wolftever Development and East Ridge officials want to turn 58 acres along the interstate and Camp Jordan into “Jordan Crossing,” a 329,912-square-foot development that they say could pump $2.17 million in tax revenues into the city each year, according to initial estimates.
Before any of that can happen, though, a game of musical chairs must take place.
East Ridge must buy 37 acres of the land from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, then Wolftever Development must buy those acres as well as the remaining 21 acres from East Ridge.
On Oct. 18, state officials sent a letter to the city, agreeing to sell the land if the city paid appraisal costs of about $4,000. The East Ridge City Council voted Thursday night to approve spending the money, but not without some worry that the whole proposal is a gamble.