CARTA officials are eyeing more downtown parking as they seek to supply added spaces for pressed motorists visiting the Bluff View Art District and Hunter Museum of American Art.
A city panel, the Chattanooga Downtown Redevelopment Corp., on Monday agreed to consider one idea – a parking garage at Walnut Street and Riverfront Parkway adjacent to a new apartment building slated to go up soon.
However, CARTA Executive Director Tom Dugan said there’s no city funding for the garage, which was not included in Chattanooga’s new budget.
He said CARTA may have to look at a different spot unless funding is found soon. The CARTA official isn’t hopeful of securing grant money.
But, Mr. Dugan said that after Unum Group finishes its new parking garage for the insurer’s employees, the company has indicated it will look at selling off some of its surface parking lots nearby for development.
He said CARTA could join with a developer on one of those lots to put up more public parking.
For full coverage, see Tuesday’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.