First phase of upgrades to begin on Westside’s James A. Henry building

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Zarriah Garner adjusts her hard hat Thursday at the event. The Chattanooga Housing Authority held a celebration marking the beginning of the renovation of the James A. Henry Campus Hub. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Zarriah Garner adjusts her hard hat Thursday at the event. The Chattanooga Housing Authority held a celebration marking the beginning of the renovation of the James A. Henry Campus Hub.

By David Floyd July 18, 2024 5 min read

A 34-year-resident of College Hill Courts, Cassandra Robinson recalls a time when the area around the James A. Henry building thrummed with activity.

“These doors never shut,” she said in an interview. “This was the safe haven. When kids get off the school bus there, they immediately run in here. … This was once an up and running, thriving place.”

Once resources started to dry up, which Robinson estimated happened sometime in the 2000s, there was nothing left to do in the Westside neighborhood. Now, she’s pleased to see leaders breathe new life into the community.

“Everybody wants a piece of the Westside,” Robinson said. “It’s a gold mine. We’re sitting on a gold mine.”