A nine-acre tract on Chattanooga's downtown riverfront across from Ross's Landing that has held propane tanks and chemical operations for decades is going into the state's brownfield program.
The JIT Terminal site on Manufacturers Road is eyed for a sale to another company and will essentially continue similar operations, said Pat Gribben, remedial project manager for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
"It will continue to operate under a commercial and industrial perspective," he said. "Essentially operations will continue as they are."
The new owner, a limited liability corporation known as Englewood Enterprises, is looking to take over the site, and the brownfield agreement with the state limits its liability, Gribben said.
Currently, JIT Chemical offers intermodal terminal services for chemicals, primarily caustic and propane, according to the state.
The site was developed originally in the 1880s, the state said. From 1961 to 1990, portions of the terminal were used for bulk organic chemical storage and distribution, the state said. The volatile organic compounds reportedly stored on the tract include styrene, toluene and others, according to TDEC.
Since 1990, only propane and caustic soda or sodium hydroxide have been stored on the property, the state said.
Neither JIT nor an attorney for Englewood Enterprises immediately returned phone calls for comment.
The property sits next to land which for many years was held by Chattanooga businessman Allen Casey, who had several ideas for that 11 acres including a hotel and floating restaurant.
But in 2014, that parcel became embroiled in a Casey bankruptcy court case. Eventually, a 6.6-acre tract was sold for $5.5 million to American River Development.
Earlier this year, a $30 million, five-story assisted living facility was announced to go on a portion of the former Casey parcel. Called Merrill Gardens at Chattanooga, the facility will front Manufacturers Road and hold 136 assisted living units and another 15 memory care rooms, said developer Clayton Mozingo of Second Fifty Communities.
John Clark of American River Development said work on the assisted living units are slated to start soon with an opening occurring in about 18 months.
But other parts of the site are seeing interest from hotel and apartment developers, he said.
"There are beautiful views of the river," said Clark.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.