Northgate owner not seeking proposed affordable housing project at mall

Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter / Northgate Mall is seen July 28, 2026. The mall's owner is not pursuing an affordable housing project at the site. A Chattanooga board pulled consideration of the project from its agenda July 27, 2026. Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter / Northgate Mall is seen July 28, 2026. The mall's owner is not pursuing an affordable housing project at the site. A Chattanooga board pulled consideration of the project from its agenda July 27, 2026.

By Times Free Press Staff July 28, 2026 4 min read

The owner of Northgate Mall in Hixson is not pursuing a proposed affordable housing project at the property.

On Monday, CBL Properties asked a Chattanooga board to remove a project planned by LDG, a national developer headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, from the panel’s agenda. As envisioned, the project would have been tailored for families earning at or below 70% of the area median income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income for the Chattanooga area was about $64,500 in 2024.

Constructed on a parking lot at the mall, the complex would have consisted of a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as site amenities like a clubhouse, community room, gym, business center, pool and dog park, according to a description of the project included in the board’s agenda.

Stacey Keating, a spokesperson for CBL, said the company asked the item to be removed because CBL does not have a deal with LDG, and it is not seeking one at Northgate. The company is trying to figure out how to reinvigorate the mall and has been meeting with community members to gather feedback.