An owner of the 141-acre former foundry site off South Broad Street says he can envision “a mini-SunTrust Park” holding not just a minor league baseball stadium but housing and retail space.
“We’d welcome it on our site,” said Chattanooga businessman Gary Chazen on Wednesday, comparing a potential new baseball and mixed-use complex there with what the Atlanta Braves erected as part of its new park in Cobb County, Ga.
That idea is likely to come up today when stakeholders in a 10-square-block area around South Broad gather for the first of two meetings that are expected to guide the area’s future.
Mayor Andy Berke, who took an hour-long walk-through of the former Wheland/U.S. Pipe foundry parcel on Wednesday, said the concept of a possible new Chattanooga Lookouts stadium is why city officials and others want to hear from citizens.
“It’s certainly a site where you could see entertainment, but we need to hear from the community about what they want,” he said.