Here’s a look at the business trends for May in the Chattanooga area. Those trends include an expansion at the Chattanooga Zoo and a well-known Irish pub closing.
WHAT OPENED
JJ Fish & Chicken launched a soft opening in late May on Highway 58. With more than 100 JJ Fish & Chicken locations in Chicago, the restaurant is the first location in the state of Tennessee.
Food City will provide nutritional food and snacks to students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with the opening of the “Food City Fueling Station” inside the Wolford Family Strength & Conditioning Center.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga opened a new laboratory specializing in robotics, intelligent systems and controls.
Scenic Suds Car Wash opened a new location at Ashland Terrace and Norcross Road.
My Eyelab, an eye care provider, opened its second location in the Chattanooga area on Gunbarrel Road.
WHAT CLOSED
Honest Pint, a well-known Irish pub that operated for 13 years on Patten Parkway, closed at the end of May. Owner Matt Lewis told the Times Free Press in a telephone interview that the business had not rebounded to its pre-pandemic levels.
WHAT’S EXPANDING
The Chattanooga Zoo broke ground on its Cape of Africa expansion, which will feature warthogs, servals and Cape porcupines.
In addition to adding more than 500 workers this year, Volkswagen Group of America Inc. announced in late May plans to accelerate research on more than 10 new projects at Volkswagen’s innovation hub at the University of Tennessee Research Park.
Officials with the Tennessee Valley Authority announced plans to double the amount of electricity it gets directly from the sun within the next decade.
The Knox County school board approved plans to create a replica of the all-boys Chattanooga Preparatory School in Knoxville.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves plans to expand the seating capacity of CHI Memorial Stadium to hold more than 6,000 people, and also install natural grass.
Builtwell Bank, Chattanooga’s biggest locally owned bank, is opening its newest location at 5970 Snow Hill Road.
ANNOUNCED DEVELOPMENTS
The hotel at the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex will undergo a name change to The Hotel Chalet, according to owner Trestle Studio.
The first concrete monolith at the new Chickamauga Lock was officially completed in late May. The monolith is 87 feet tall and made of enough concrete to support 150 homes.
Pablo Di Si, Volkswagen Group of America’s chief executive, is now living in Chattanooga and has announced plans to shift some jobs from the company’s headquarters in Virginia to the Chattanooga area.
Chattanooga city officials announced a special tax district proposal tied to Chattanooga’s One Westside plan, which calls for more than $198 million in public improvements such as roads and sidewalks.
A Knoxville homebuilder, Turner Homes LLC, broke ground in late May on the first of three new subdivisions it plans to build in Ooltewah and Cleveland.
The 33-unit Edge apartment complex at 422 Vine St. has been sold for nearly $6.6 million.
— Compiled by Kiara Green