Teal Thibaud, in charge of community outreach for the Glass House Collective, center, speaks about the collective’s goal to revitalize Glass St. in East Chattanooga during a meeting with Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise representatives.GLASS STREET LIVE BLOCK PARTYThe block party will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, rain or shine, at the intersection of North Chamberlain and Glass streets. Face painting, inflatables, bird house decorating, a walking tour and line dancing will be on tap in addition to:9 a.m.: Volunteers meet for community cleanup at 2523 Glass St.10 a.m.-noon: Touch-a-truck display at Hardy Elementary School, sponsored by City Councilman Peter Murphy11:25 a.m.: Train rides begin at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
There are more empty buildings on East Chattanooga’s Glass Street than anything else.
Next are clubs, a couple of hair salons or barbershops, corner markets and storefront churches. Of the five Chattanooga homicides so far this year, two were in East Chattanooga.
But three dreamers, all under age 35 and backed by money from the Lyndhurst Foundation, have set up an office in the community and believe they can make a difference.
On Saturday, the Glass House Collective, a revitalization organization formed under the charitable nonprofit Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, will host a communitywide block party. Glass Street Live happens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the intersection of Glass Street and North Chamberlain Avenue.