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Downtown parking study kicks off with $1 billion in planned development looming

Cars are parked on Patten Parkway downtown, which is drawing more resident — some 2,500 apartments, 260 condominiums and more than 1,000 beds for UTC students over the next few years. In light of all the development, a $250,000 parking study of the city's parking is being undertaken.
Cars are parked on Patten Parkway downtown, which is drawing more resident — some 2,500 apartments, 260 condominiums and more than 1,000 beds for UTC students over the next few years. In light of all the development, a $250,000 parking study of the city's parking is being undertaken. Cars are parked on Patten Parkway downtown, which is drawing more resident — some 2,500 apartments, 260 condominiums and more than 1,000 beds for UTC students over the next few years. In light of all the development, a $250,000 parking study of the city's parking is being undertaken.

By Mike Pare 4 min read

The most in-depth parking study of downtown Chattanooga in about two decades is kicking off as the central city grapples with nearly $1 billion in planned development and a doubling of residents.

“There’s so much growth, all the new construction downtown; we’re trying to get ahead of the curve,” said Kim White, who heads the nonprofit redevelopment group River City Company.

The $250,000 parking effort, in addition to looking at the city’s core, will focus on the Southside and the M.L. King corridor stretching to UTC and to Erlanger hospital, where past such downtown studies haven’t ventured, White said.

In light of the growth plans of the hospital and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, each is helping to fund the comprehensive review, along with CARTA, the city, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation, River City, and the Benwood and Lyndhurst foundations, she said.

The study, by San Francisco-based consultant Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, will look at how downtown parking will change over the next decade and identify actions to support central city growth.