A tract on downtown Chattanooga’s Westside that for decades was home to an auto dealership is for sale and could be the future site of a large apartment complex or mixed-use development.
The three-acre parcel at Riverfront Parkway and M.L. King Boulevard previously held Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s auto dealership, and Crown Subaru leased the site through the end of 2023.
Ownership of the parcel was transferred in December 2023 from Kelly Auto Group to Southeastern Trust Co., trustee of the Timothy A. Kelly Blind Trust, records from the Hamilton County Register of Deeds show.
In July 2024 the property was sold for $7.25 million to Sports Car Garage Group, according to records from the Hamilton County Register of Deeds.
The group, listing developer Barry Payne as its contact, applied to rezone the property for commercial mixed use, with plans to build an apartment building with more than 600 units. The request was withdrawn when it went before the Chattanooga City Council for a vote, and it is currently zoned for heavy industrial use.
Broker Jon Hughes of Tower Property Group described the tract as a prime location for multifamily development, and said he believes the highest and best use of the property is residential with a small commercial component on the first floor.
It’s located near the Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead of the Tennessee Riverwalk and just to the east of The Bend, a mixed-use development at the 120-acre former Alstom manufacturing site. The Bend is expected to attract more than $2.3 billion in investment with residential, retail and industrial components, officials say.
ABOUT THE SITE
* Location: 900 Riverfront Parkway
* Lot size: 3.02 acres
* Zoning: Heavy industrial
* For more information: Jon Hughes of Tower Property Group