City Plans to Purchase Harriet Tubman Site

The folks over in East Chattanooga are thrilled! Mayor Andy Berke proposes $212 million budget today including city plans to buy the Harriet Tubman site in East Chattanooga from the Chattanooga Housing Authority for redevelopment. The site is over 35 acres. The former housing project was closed in recent years. 

view full article at Chattanoogan.com

The City has allocated funds to purchase the site of the former Harriet Tubman Housing Project for the purpose of economic development. Should the offer be accepted by the Housing Authority, the Administration will demolish the buildings and work with the County, the Chamber, and the surrounding neighborhood to prepare the site for investment. This site illustrates how the City links economic and community development.

The folks over in East Chattanooga are thrilled! 

This is a perfect example of the ‘bottom up and top down’ approach Glass House Collective uses.

It takes small work and investments from the bottom up using grass roots level community engagement and focusing on resident-owned businesses as well as top down investments like the larger economic development projects that the city has the capacity to lead. We’ve been here for a year and a half gaining community support and buy-in in hopes that our city’s leadership would recognize the opportunity and clearly they have in choosing this potential investment. This is really an exciting time for the community! 

Full proposed budget can be viewed here.