Chattanooga is moving forward with a Northgate Mall utilities upgrade.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to accept an application from property owner CBL Properties and send it to the Industrial Development Board for review. Still, several council members cited concerns about an amendment to the application asking for an additional tax incentive that would have reimbursed both property taxes and sales taxes in the district to the developer for the project.
“You are shrewd negotiators,” said council Chair Jenny Hill of North Chattanooga, speaking to CBL representatives. “And the city should be as well.”
Council member Jenni Berz of Brainerd Hills amended the resolution before it passed, removing a waiver in the application for a third party review typically meant for large development above ground, though council member Ron Elliott of Missionary Ridge brought up the fact that all planned infrastructure in the application was subterranean. The resolution that passed would instead require that review.