Chattanooga visitors center staying in 'The Block'

Thursday, November 15, 2012

photo Bob Doak

Chattanooga's Visitor Center will shift to new space on the ground floor of CARTA's riverfront parking garage that has been newly branded as "The Block."

Plans are to build the new Visitors Center in a portion of the breezeway where CARTA's electric shuttle drops off passengers, said Bob Doak, who heads the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Visitors Center now operates on the ground floor of the garage on the Broad Street side in space that had at one time housed the Bijou Theater lobby.

Doak said the CVB, CARTA and new tenants in The Block wanted the Visitors Bureau to remain at that site which draws heavy tourist traffic.

He estimated it will take about $350,000 to $400,000 to construct the new Visitors Center, which is targeted to open near Memorial Day of next year.

See Friday's Times Free Press for full story.