Chattanooga’s downtown has an interesting history and equally interesting homes and buildings. In fact, there are 102 historic properties on the National Register. From the James Building to the Maclellan Building and the home of Chancellor T.M. McConnell, Chattanooga has a wide array of historical buildings that are well positioned for the future.
In the thirties and forties, downtown became a hub for industry and retail. Loveman’s, Miller Brothers, Sears, and J.C. Penney all opened their doors to area shoppers. The smell of Fleetwood Coffee roasting on 10th Street was as familiar a smell as the hot nuts roasting just inside the doors of Sears. Those working in banks, insurance companies, and offices would make their way to the S&W Cafeteria on Market Street or the Home Plate on 7th Street for lunch. Downtown was humming.
In 1962, Chattanooga’s first mall, Eastgate, opened in Brainerd and the move to the suburbs began to make its impact on the once thriving city. It seemed that overnight, downtown closed up shop as the sun set each evening, making the inner city a dangerous place. Over time, the anchor stores that drew thousands to downtown moved closer to the suburbs, leaving empty buildings and a ghost of the former “Dynamo of Dixie.”
But then a funny thing happened. Local philanthropist Jack Lupton shared a different kind of take on Chattanooga’s downtown. He told reporter Bill Dedman of The Chattanooga Times in 1986, “I’ve never had any skepticism about the community, about the river, or about the riverfront project. The biggest problem that Chattanooga ever had is that they’ve all buttoned it up at night and went home to their little bitty conclaves, and nobody communicated with anybody – including him [he points at his father’s photograph] and his cohorts. They wanted to keep this place a secret. They didn’t want anybody knowing about what a nice little deal they had here.”
And with that, Chattanooga Venture and, ultimately, the Chattanooga Way was born, bringing businesses, government, non-profits, and citizens together for the good of the community. The first investments made went into the redevelopment of Chattanooga’s riverfront, including the Tennessee Aquarium. Lupton raised over $50 million dollars for the effort and soon, Chattanooga had its first downtown restaurant in several decades, 212 Market, opened and still owned by the Moses family.
The return on those investments are immeasurable to our present as well as our future. Investors come to Chattanooga each week looking for buildings to re-purpose into homes or apartments. Condo neighborhoods such as Museum Bluffs Riverside and Parkview, as well as The Lofts on Main located in the Southside prove that Downtown living is not only back, but is back to stay.
With a need for more than 4,000 apartments to support our thriving young entrepreneur community, to the area’s first boutique hotel slated for Walnut Street in 2016, downtown living is proving to be a wise investment with diverse opportunities in any price range. Examples of historical homes that have been updated with the most modern amenities can be found from Ferguson Place to Ft. Wood. These properties not only provide homes for families moving back into town, but in many instances, also serve as the place where professionals work on computers humming with the speed of a gig (or even two!).
Downtown living is making a return in a big way. For the real estate professional, it means that opportunities abound in connecting clients with just the right property to meet their needs. For clients, it means a diverse selection of inventory. From hip to historical, there’s something for everyone seeking that special place to call home. Somehow, I can’t help but think that Jack Lupton would be very proud of the place Chattanooga has become. If you said Chattanooga got her groove back, you’d be right. And many of us who’ve grown up here would add, “And it’s about time.”
Gina Sakich is the owner broker of Signature Brokers. Located in Suite 111 at 5559 Little Debbie Parkway in Ooltewah, Tenn., the boutique real estate firm is geographically positioned in one the fastest growing regions in the Southeast. For more information about Signature Brokers, visit www.TheSignatureFirm.com, or call them at (423) 521-3476. Sakich has been a resident of the Ooltewah community for over 20 years.
By Gina Sakich
Chattanooga’s downtown has an interesting history and equally interesting homes and buildings. In fact, there are 102 historic properties on the National Register. From the James Building to the Maclellan Building and the home of Chancellor T.M. McConnell, Chattanooga has a wide array of historical buildings that are well positioned for the future.
In the thirties and forties, downtown became a hub for industry and retail. Loveman’s, Miller Brothers, Sears, and J.C. Penney all opened their doors to area shoppers. The smell of Fleetwood Coffee roasting on 10th Street was as familiar a smell as the hot nuts roasting just inside the doors of Sears. Those working in banks, insurance companies, and offices would make their way to the S&W Cafeteria on Market Street or the Home Plate on 7th Street for lunch. Downtown was humming.
In 1962, Chattanooga’s first mall, Eastgate, opened in Brainerd and the move to the suburbs began to make its impact on the once thriving city. It seemed that overnight, downtown closed up shop as the sun set each evening, making the inner city a dangerous place. Over time, the anchor stores that drew thousands to downtown moved closer to the suburbs, leaving empty buildings and a ghost of the former “Dynamo of Dixie.”
But then a funny thing happened. Local philanthropist Jack Lupton shared a different kind of take on Chattanooga’s downtown. He told reporter Bill Dedman of The Chattanooga Times in 1986, “I’ve never had any skepticism about the community, about the river, or about the riverfront project. The biggest problem that Chattanooga ever had is that they’ve all buttoned it up at night and went home to their little bitty conclaves, and nobody communicated with anybody – including him [he points at his father’s photograph] and his cohorts. They wanted to keep this place a secret. They didn’t want anybody knowing about what a nice little deal they had here.”
And with that, Chattanooga Venture and, ultimately, the Chattanooga Way was born, bringing businesses, government, non-profits, and citizens together for the good of the community. The first investments made went into the redevelopment of Chattanooga’s riverfront, including the Tennessee Aquarium. Lupton raised over $50 million dollars for the effort and soon, Chattanooga had its first downtown restaurant in several decades, 212 Market, opened and still owned by the Moses family.
The return on those investments are immeasurable to our present as well as our future. Investors come to Chattanooga each week looking for buildings to re-purpose into homes or apartments. Condo neighborhoods such as Museum Bluffs Riverside and Parkview, as well as The Lofts on Main located in the Southside prove that Downtown living is not only back, but is back to stay.
With a need for more than 4,000 apartments to support our thriving young entrepreneur community, to the area’s first boutique hotel slated for Walnut Street in 2016, downtown living is proving to be a wise investment with diverse opportunities in any price range. Examples of historical homes that have been updated with the most modern amenities can be found from Ferguson Place to Ft. Wood. These properties not only provide homes for families moving back into town, but in many instances, also serve as the place where professionals work on computers humming with the speed of a gig (or even two!).
Downtown living is making a return in a big way. For the real estate professional, it means that opportunities abound in connecting clients with just the right property to meet their needs. For clients, it means a diverse selection of inventory. From hip to historical, there’s something for everyone seeking that special place to call home. Somehow, I can’t help but think that Jack Lupton would be very proud of the place Chattanooga has become. If you said Chattanooga got her groove back, you’d be right. And many of us who’ve grown up here would add, “And it’s about time.”
Gina Sakich is the owner broker of Signature Brokers. Located in Suite 111 at 5559 Little Debbie Parkway in Ooltewah, Tenn., the boutique real estate firm is geographically positioned in one the fastest growing regions in the Southeast. For more information about Signature Brokers, visit www.TheSignatureFirm.com, or call them at (423) 521-3476. Sakich has been a resident of the Ooltewah community for over 20 years. v