Chattanooga's North Shore may see $4 million in projects near Publix

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo This is an artist's rendering of a new proposed mixed-use development off North Market Street.

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photo Proposed North Shore developments

More retail, office and housing may soon come to Chattanooga's North Shore as developers propose mixed-used projects close to the planned Publix grocery store.

Three new buildings, developments roughly valued at more than $4 million, are proposed for North Market Street.

"There's a trend on North Market," said Kim White, who heads the nonprofit redevelopment group River City Co. "It has attracted retailers and offices. With the Publix over there, it will be more so."

A $3 million development is proposed for the corner of North Market and Bush streets, directly across from where the grocery store project is slated to go, said developers Jacob Becker and Pryor Bacon.

Becker said plans are to put up a three-level building with retail or offices on the ground floor and six condominiums on the top two. The developers said the condos likely would range from $225,000 to $275,000 each.

"It's more for someone who wants to live downtown but doesn't want to pay $500,000 for a condominium," Becker said.

Also, another nearby project proposed between North Market and Hamilton Avenue would put up a pair of two-story buildings holding retail and offices. In addition, the tract has room for a couple of houses.

Chattanoogan David Jones said he and two others in the development group want to put up the buildings near the intersection of North Market with Chambliss Street.

He said each floor would have about 900 square feet. In one building, Jones said, plans are to place an art gallery that's currently on Spears Avenue.

"On the upper floor, we'd like to rent to a professional like an architect," he said.

Jones said they'd like to put up the second building after the first is built. He estimated the entire project at more than $1 million.

Both development proposals are seeking new zoning.

Bacon said he and Becker's proposal also includes about 30 parking spaces on two levels.

"This location will have traffic brought by Publix," Bacon said. "We'll have two levels of parking. [Parking is] an issue downtown at times."

White said transportation in the area needs to be examined. She said Publix will be attracting tractor-trailers.

"It's walkable," she said about the North Shore. "We've got to make sure that as development occurs, we do everything to keep it that way. We could lose what's special about the district."

The Publix store is expected to open by next summer.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.