Chattanooga City Council members were rankled after Chattanooga developer Jimmy White didn’t appear for a presentation Tuesday evening — while White says he didn’t find out about his presentation date until Good Friday.
White is the CEO of Urban Story Ventures. His company is at the helm of The Bend, a 120-acre planned riverfront retail and tourism district meant to revitalize Chattanooga’s Westside. The project is part of a special tax agreement with the city and has sparked concerns for Mayor Tim Kelly’s administration in the past, with city officials saying The Bend is behind and could hurt the progress of a public housing development nearby, though it is ahead of its contractual schedule.
When it was announced that White would not present Tuesday as scheduled, City Council members called the situation disappointing, appalling and offensive. After the meeting, when asked about the council members’ comments, White said their reactions were also disappointing, appalling and offensive, since the council hadn’t communicated that he was supposed to present until the last minute.
The City Council’s agenda Tuesday said Urban Story Ventures would be presenting an update on The Bend project. But when it came time, council member Ron Elliott of Missionary Ridge — who chairs the council’s economic development meetings — said there would be no presentation that night.
No-show for developer of The Bend irks Chattanooga council
“They were not prepared for today’s meeting and are not able to attend today,” Elliott said from the dais.