As the lead applicant for a multicity passenger rail initiative, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly is directing city staff to publish of a Request for Qualification to begin the analysis for the proposed Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector, which would link Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta.
The RFQ seeks qualified firms to define the scope of the project by analyzing its workforce, economic and operational impact.
“The potential benefits for Chattanooga from passenger rail are boundless,” says Kelly. “Tennessee is expected to see a nearly 30% increase in auto trips and commute times over the next 20 years, while Amtrak ridership is increasing at about the same rate. This project will help us protect our interstates, catalyze economic development and better connect our region with more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation.”
Unlike projects that rely on magnetic levitation, which cost tens of billions of dollars and would add many years to the project, according to the city, the Sunbelt-Atlantic Connector is designed to leverage existing rails that already connect the four cities. Modeled on successful projects in North Carolina and Virginia, the initiative will examine infrastructure additions such as sidings and stations that will be needed to accommodate additional train traffic from passenger travel.
The city of Chattanooga in December 2023 won a $500,000 federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Corridor ID Program to fund a study to develop the scope, cost, engineering and other requirements needed to develop the line.
A preliminary economic analysis performed by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations projects more than 17,000 jobs and more than $1.8 million in annual time saving benefit could be developed as a result of the project.
Interested firms should submit applications at cha.city/bids. The application will close Tuesday, June 11.
ArtsBuild seeks Holmberg applicants
ArtsBuild has opened the applications for the 2024-2025 Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute class. Professionals from all sectors in the Chattanooga area are encouraged to apply, including business leaders, local government professionals, nonprofit executives, educators, artists and arts administrators.
The application is located at bit.ly/HALI2024. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 14 at 11:59 p.m.
Launched in 2005 in memory of longtime ArtsBuild board member and arts advocate A. William Holmberg, Jr., the annual Institute offers visits to cultural and educational institutions, case studies of arts agencies, panel discussions with community leaders about current issues facing the arts community, and a forum for pursuing shared goals among arts leaders, business leaders, educators and philanthropic foundations.
The local nonprofit arts and culture sector has a $191 million impact on Hamilton County’s economy, notes ArtsBuild in a news release.
The Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute is designed for residents of the greater Chattanooga area who share a passion for advancing and engaging with the arts in the community.
Contact Jules Jackson at jules@artsbuild.com for more information.
Women Build brunch raises $120K
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga’s recent Women Build brunch raised $120,000. The local nonprofit plans to spend the funds on an aggressive build schedule of additional Habitat homes for the Chattanooga area in the coming months.
Construction costs for Habitat homes continue to escalate, with the cost of a home costing about $160,000 to complete.
The 2024 Women Build homeowners are Shirley and Sherry Pitner. The mother-daughter duo has endured many challenges over the years, including Sherry’s ongoing health challenges, which began at the age of 10 with a kidney replacement. Sherry received two more replacement kidneys over the years and is finally in good health, notes Habitat in a news release.
The Pitners have completed Habitat’s educational programs and sweat equity requirements and will soon break ground on their own home. When they move in, they’ll have a 0% 30-year mortgage.
“Habitat’s mission for Chattanooga is to bring together people to build homes, communities and hope,” Habitat board chair Patrick Daugherty says. “Our vision is to have a world where everyone has a decent place to live. This year’s Women Build Brunch committee not only made a difference for the Pitners but also for the community we all share.”
Local employers create youth apprenticeships
Four Chattanooga and Hamilton County companies will receive $10,000 each in financial incentives to kick-start a youth apprenticeship program for local residents between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. Apprenticeship Works provided the Apprenticeships Building America I grant as parts of its observance of National Youth Apprenticeship Week (May 5-11).
Twenty companies submitted applications for the youth apprenticeship funding. Apprenticeship Works selected the four winning applicants based on the innovation of the positions, plans to grow the apprenticeship program and a demonstrated commitment to mentoring as part of the company culture.
The four winning employers are AlloHire, Electric Power Board, Tiny Tigers Learning Center and AHS Consulting.
“We’re working on addressing disparities in income and net worth in the city of Chattanooga,” Chattanooga Mayor Kelly says. “With all the support coming from the federal, state and local levels, it’s critical that our partners in the business community also rally around these opportunities.”
“Youth apprenticeships are a phenomenal tool for local businesses,” says Apprenticeship Works Executive Director Walton Robinson. “Depending on the industry, apprenticeships come with tax benefits and financial incentives that cover training costs, and they yield high employee retention rates. Over 90% of apprentices are still with the same company after five years.”
Erlanger Believe Bash exceeds $1 million
Erlanger Foundation’s eighth annual Believe Bash raised over $1 million for Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, topping previous records.
“We’re deeply moved by our community’s continued outpouring of support for Children’s Hospital at Erlanger through their generous donations,” says Erlanger Foundation President and Chief Development Officer Julie Taylor. “It is through the generosity of many that we’re able to further our mission as the region’s only children’s hospital.”
As a not-for-profit, Erlanger and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger depend on philanthropic support to provide care and advance pediatric services.
Co-chairs for the ninth annual Believe Bash, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025, are Sheila and Dane Boyington and Amy and Jim Coleman. Join the Erlanger Foundation Believe Bash Facebook group or visit erlangerfoundation.org/believe-bash for updates.