Inman Street may get spruced up

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Could Inman Street become a city focal point again?

With some work, Cleveland officials and neighborhood residents think so.

"We are looking at U.S. 64 and Inman Street as the next beautification project," Mayor Tom Rowland said.

The topic came up recently at a MainStreet Cleveland meeting during talk about a new welcome sign and landscaping going up on 25th Street at Interstate 75.

Mr. Rowland appointed property owner Sherry Brown to head a gateway task force with Councilman Bill Estes, NAACP Director Lawrence Armstrong and others.

Inman Street once was a thriving commercial district, said Councilman Avery Johnson, who grew up in the mostly minority neighborhood. When federal urban renewal programs came along in the 1970s, most of those buildings were razed, he said, and the community never has recovered.

"At one time, that area had all types of businesses - grocery stores, barber shops, banks, restaurants, bake shops. They had all kinds," Mr. Johnson said. "Then urban renewal bought up nearly everything. People didn't feel comfortable relocating in certain areas of the city. Most people just went out of business, especially black-owned businesses."

Whatever went wrong back then, Mr. Johnson said, can be corrected now.

Much already has been done with sidewalks and other infrastructure, he said.

Cleveland officials point to Chattanooga's downtown rejuvenation centered around the riverfront and the Tennessee Aquarium.

"One of the important things to do is have a vision of what exactly you want that corridor to look like," city community development director Greg Thomas said. "How do you want it to function?"

In the meantime, something needs to be done quickly and visibly, officials said.

Some fast-track beautification could help while the neighborhood and the city look at longer-range solutions, Mr. Rowlandsaid.

Mr. Estes said he's looking for ideas to entice businesses back to the area.

"I'm not interested in gateway zoning but if there is anything zoning can do to help out Inman Street along the way, I would like for that to be considered," Mr. Estes said.

"I see businesses doing more for curbside appeal sometimes than the city."

Some things can be done in city rights of way without gateway zoning, including roadside beautification projects, Mr. Thomas said.

He said officials would want to see what happens with a long-range strategic plan being formed by a contracted agency. That plan is expected to take about six months to put together.

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