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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Cooper: Say yes to property purchase at Northgate Mall for schools

Renderings of a new location for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts dated March 2, 2020 depict a new school building, gymnasium, soccer field, playgrounds and parking lots on the former Sears site at Northgate Mall in Hixson. The renderings were presented to the Hamilton County school board during its Thursday, April 23 meeting. / Photo from Hamilton County Schools
Renderings of a new location for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts dated March 2, 2020 depict a new school building, gymnasium, soccer field, playgrounds and parking lots on the former Sears site at Northgate Mall in Hixson. The renderings were presented to the Hamilton County school board during its Thursday, April 23 meeting. / Photo from Hamilton County Schools Renderings of a new location for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts dated March 2, 2020 depict a new school building, gymnasium, soccer field, playgrounds and parking lots on the former Sears site at Northgate Mall in Hixson. The renderings were presented to the Hamilton County school board during its Thursday, April 23 meeting. / Photo from Hamilton County Schools

Perhaps, the Hamilton County Board of Education has something else up its sleeve for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts (CSLA).

Perhaps there is another former big-box store or large piece of property members have had in mind.

Perhaps the idea is to play the former Sears parcel at Northgate Mall they’re interested in against some other property they also think might work.

Perhaps … but probably not.

At this point, the school board is looking to vote Thursday on letters of intent on the Sears property for a new CSLA – currently housed in a leaky, dilapidated, old East Brainerd building – and on the former J.C. Penney property at the mall for a new elementary school.