Adding a huge new development in one of Chattanooga’s most historically disinvested neighborhoods was always going to have consequences.
New, more expensive condos, townhomes and apartments in the Mill Town neighborhood will naturally make the surrounding area of Oak Grove less affordable, developer Ethan Collier said.
As part of an effort to combat potential displacement, Collier has added some income-restricted units, including around 50 developed in partnership with nonprofit developer Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise.
Martina Guilfoil, the enterprise’s president and CEO, said she was drawn to Collier’s proposal for a mixed-income community, rarely built these days, she said.
“How do we protect Oak Grove residents from this development that’s happening, and how can the residents then get involved and identify what they might want for their neighborhood with this development happening?” Guilfoil said by phone. “I thought this is a great opportunity to create a model for equitable development that could be used across the city.”