The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport kicked off a study last week that will enhance the airport's role as a gateway to the city.
A collaborative effort between the airport and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, the Airport District Planning Study will sniff out capital projects and investment opportunities that area planners can take to prepare for the coming growth.
For example, preliminary plans are to spend $773,000 to upgrade the airport's main entrance on Shepherd Road with landscaping, sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
The push for more improvements and economic development at and around the airport comes as the facility continues to see a record-breaking increase in the number of passenger boardings, which, now at more than 484,000, has seen a 37 percent increase over the last five years.
With that number continuing to grow, airport CEO Terry Hart said he believes passenger boardings will surpass 700,000 in the next 20 years.
"As a result of that, we need to make sure we're doing the things now to improve the infrastructure at the airport," he said.
The process began Oct. 2 during a kickoff meeting with Stantec, the local engineering consultant selected for the study.
A $150,000 airport district study will look into boosting economic development around Lovell Field and enhancing adjacent neighborhoods. Federal Aviation Administration funds will pay 90 percent of the master plan cost with the airport picking up the remainder.
The market study will look at increasing the number of offices, technology companies, and workforce housing in the airport district, which encompasses Shepherd Road, Highway 153 to Lee Highway and then to Brainerd Road. It will also examine future land uses for hotels, restaurants and small and big-box commercial projects.
"We understand that it's not just about the airport, but the pieces that go around it and how those things work together," said RPA Executive Director John Bridger.
Notable improvements for the airport itself include additional parking spaces, more lanes for the security checkpoint area, more gates for boarding and deplaning, and an expanded concourse area.
After meeting with stakeholders at the end of October for input, the next step will be to host a community visioning meeting with neighborhood residents, business owners and small property owners, Bridger said. The soon-to-be scheduled gathering is slated for mid-November.
A draft plan is expected to be brought before the community by the end of January, with the goal of final adoption of the plan by the Chattanooga City Council on March 12.
Staff writer Mike Pare contributed to this story.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.