John Bridger, head of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning AuthorityThe Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency wants to lead Chattanooga residents and developers in establishing a new form-based code for downtown buildings.
Instead of single-story buildings like Applebee’s or Buffalo Wild Wings, planners want to discuss more buildings like The Big Chill or Jack’s Alley, with multiple levels that could accommodate commercial and residential use.
“In downtown, square footage space really does matter in trying to get the most you can out of a space,” RPA Executive Director John Bridger said Wednesday before a meeting to discuss downtown codes.
Hundreds of people packed the Bessie Smith Cultural Center for the meeting. A community charrette — a series of meetings with a variety of discussion modes — is scheduled for March 7-12.
A downtown code change is one of the recommendations that came from Mayor Andy Berke’s Chattanooga Forward initiative.