It’s been more than seven years since the Chattanooga Housing Authority (CHA) informed residents of the Harriet Tubman public housing complex that they would be evicted and the buildings would be sold because they required an untenable $33 million in repairs.
It’s been more than five years since, with no valid offers for the complex in the offing, the city – under new Mayor Andy Berke – was asked to consider purchasing the complex. The city’s offer was rejected by the CHA, and the bid eventually was withdrawn.
It’s been more than four years since, with still no viable bids for the by then-boarded up, dilapidated site, groups of East Chattanooga residents begged the city to buy the complex, which it eventually did. The city’s stated goal for the property at the time – though others may have been considered internally – was redevelopment into an industrial site.
The city spent $2.6 million for the complex, then paid $4.3 million to raze the dilapidated housing on it. To help show good faith to the community, the city employed at least 14 residents of the area to help demolish the complex.
Over the past four years, whenever Berke was asked about the project, he was forthright about the lack of proper industrial suitors for the site but passionate about his desire to create something positive there for the East Chattanooga community. Good-paying, industrial jobs, he said, would be a boon for the neighborhood, would be a short walk or drive away from home, and would give employees wages they then could plow back into the local economy and provide their families better lives.