Set for Expansion: Chattanooga’s Infrastructure Boom
The sounds of construction and progress are reverberating from the streets of Greater Chattanooga as infrastructure projects broaden transportation options and improve ease of access for residents.
In 2024, the Chattanooga Airport unveiled its $28 million terminal renovation and expansion, which included a new concourse, two new gates with jet bridges and an expanded TSA screening area.
A full-service restaurant and bar, Tailwind Concessions, also made its debut. Its menu features a Southern mix of flavors, including barbecue poutine appetizers, pork belly wedge salad, pimento burgers, and chicken and waffles.
In addition, the airport has added a direct flight to Las Vegas aboard Allegiant Air.
“Las Vegas is a brand-new destination that we’ve wanted for a long time,” Chattanooga Airport President/CEO April Cameron said in a news release.
“We appreciate Allegiant investing in our community and feel like this is a stepping stone to even more opportunities in our future.”
Other destinations that a direct flight from the airport can reach include Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Orlando, Tampa and Washington, D.C. In addition to Allegiant Air, passengers are served by American Airlines, Delta and United.
Road to Improvement: TDOT’s 10-Year Plan
Infrastructure improvements are also happening on the ground. The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) first-ever 10-year infrastructure plan provides a blueprint for future roadway enhancements in the region.
One essential part of the plan involves the eventual installation of Choice Lanes in heavily congested interstate areas, which will give motorists an option to pay a fee to use the faster lanes. Nearby Atlanta already has Choice Lanes, and TDOT is currently studying the potential benefits for Chattanooga.
Also on the agenda, roadway projects have been approved to replace 16 bridges across eight counties, widen SR-317 in the Bonny Oaks Drive area of Chattanooga, widen I-75 from SR-2 to SR-311 and widen I-24 from east of Browns Ferry Road to US-27.
“TDOT knows that there is no slow-down in our growth whatsoever, with mega building projects happening throughout Greater Chattanooga,” says Leslie Gower, CEO of Associated General Contractors East Tennessee. “That growth will only continue, including in the residential sector, because there is much migration to this region taking place from California and New York.”
Industrial Parks: Prime Locations for Business Growth
Industrial parks are advantageous environments for businesses that help facilitate cost-effective operations and streamline logistics. Lucky for companies, the region offers a growing list of quality sites across its 16 counties.
For example, Catoosa County, Georgia, is home to a newly developed Cloud Springs I-75 Park that has more than 1 million square feet of available space. Some of the acreage is zoned for heavy industrial, and there are also parcels for Class A office buildings to be constructed.
In Cleveland, Tennessee, Spring Branch Industrial Park spans 331 acres but is devoting 110 acres to a buffer between neighboring areas. Spring Branch has already attracted manufacturing tenants such as Amaero, Cannon Automotive Solutions and SK Foods.
North River Commerce Center: Chattanooga’s Largest Industrial Park
Also, in Hixson, Tennessee, the North River Commerce Center development is on track to become Greater Chattanooga’s largest new industrial park in decades.
The sprawling Commerce Center will offer more than 1 million square feet of space for industrial tenants when fully built out.
“We studied the Chattanooga warehousing market and recognized a massive need for storing Class A industrial products, so we acquired 88 acres in Hixson in 2022,” says John Tugman, vice president of brokerage for Chattanooga-based Rise Partners, which is investing more than $1 million to develop the North River Commerce Center. Already open at the Commerce Center, Building 100 and Building 200 measure approximately 382,000 total square feet. Tugman says a 217,000-square-foot Building 300 will be constructed when Buildings 100 and 200 are fully leased.
“We also have a Parcel C that can fulfill a build-to-suit opportunity up to 350,000 square feet,” he says.
“For that parcel, we’re looking to attract a large manufacturer that will bring good-paying jobs to the Chattanooga region.”
Home Depot and DB Schenker were among the first tenants to claim a site at the North River Commerce Center. “The Center’s location provides access to SR-153 that connects to the I-75/I-24 split interchange, and we are only 10 miles from downtown Chattanooga,” Tugman says.
“North River is also ideal for suppliers in various industries because we are less than two hours from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Huntsville.”
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