Fire-damaged buildings condemned by the city
More than three months after a fire gutted the former Half Note Lounge and damaged the Whole Note restaurant building next door, the city has condemned the two-story structures at M.L. King Boulevard and Douglas Street.
In a notice posted on the structure, the city said the buildings are “unfit for human habitation” and are “dangerous” to the public. Chattanooga city spokeswoman Marissa Bell said the building owners must now either fix the buildings, tear the structures down or appeal the condemnation.
The 5,200-square-foot building at the corner of Douglas and M.L. King Boulevard that once housed the Half Note was built in 1938. Next door, a 6,983-square-foot structure was built in 1978 as a night club for the Whole Note restaurant.
According to the Hamilton County Assessor’s office, both buildings are owned by Dedra B. Partridge, who bought the properties in 1996. Partridge could not be reached Friday to see if she plans to appeal the condemnation.
1An early morning fire on Feb. 9 destroyed most of historic Half Note Lounge, while the Whole Note next door suffered water damage during the ensuing effort to extinguish the blaze. No one was injured in the blaze.
Brainerd Wal-Mart completes upgrade
The world’s biggest retailer Friday marked the completion of an upgrade of the 13-year-old Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brainerd by giving away $1,000 each to the Chattanooga Room at the Inn, Chattanooga Kids on the Block, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County and the Boy Scouts of America.
The 12-week upgrade of the 207,549-square-foot store relocated the MoneyCenter near the front of the store to provide customers easier access to money transfers, check cashing, bill pay, money orders and other financial services and added Walmart’s new pharmacy concept, with registers that can be used for either drop off or pick up, and a consultation room.
The store changes also included a redesigned baby department with strollers at floor level and more space for diapers and furniture and additional products in the grocery and apparel departments targeted at Hispanic customers.
“We’ve put customer convenience first in this remodel and added more of the products our customers want,” store manager Allen Curtis said.
Golf and Country Club opens swimming pool
Just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club opened a new swimming pool and clubhouse on Friday. The $6 million expansion of the North Chattanooga country club – the biggest at the 121-year-old facility in decades – was finished on time a year after the 700-member club decided to embark on the project.
The upgrade includes a new family fitness center, including a new swimming pool, clubhouse and dining area and a 2,500-square-foot fitness center.
“This helps the club to serve the whole family and makes us much more than golf course and club house,” said Chris Curtis, president of the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club board who helped oversee the project.
Ikea to open store south of Nashville
Ikea, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, announced Friday it plans to open a 341,000-square-foot store in Nashville by the spring of 2019. The new store will be the second in Tennessee for Ikea, which opened a Memphis store last December.
Located 13 miles southeast of downtown Nashville on a 13-acre site in the Antioch area, the proposed Ikea store will include parking for 1,100 cars and will reflect the same unique architectural design for which Ikea stores are known worldwide. IKEA also will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90 percent of its U.S. locations.
“This location would provide our already 140,000 Nashville-area customers their own store and introduce the unique IKEA shopping experience to others throughout Middle Tennessee,” said Ikea U.S. President Lars Petersson.”