Started in 2020, the ONE Riverfront plan outlined eight strategies to create a place for all Chattanoogans to enjoy, strengthen connectivity to the riverfront, develop a greater sense of place, and to activate the riverfront.
Over 2000 community members voiced their thoughts on how best to accomplish the goal. Since then, the work on the ONE Riverfront Plan has continued including many strategies like “Reimagining Broad Street” and “Humanizing Our Parks”.
Today, the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Parks & Outdoors, in partnership with River City Company and the Chattanooga Design Studio, is inviting the community to continue to participate in the evolution of the Riverfront parks through a community open house on July 20th at the Hunter Museum.
From 4:30pm – 6:30pm, residents are invited to interact with the concept boards, speak to the consultant teams and provide feedback that will inform the next steps. While there will not be a formal presentation at the event, residents are encouraged to come for as long as they wish to explore the concepts and provide their feedback.
The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP via Eventbrite: eventbrite.com/e/evolving-our-riverfront-parks-community-open-house-tickets-675186399 697
“Riverfront Park, like many urban parks across the globe, has been an enormous success. It has helped reshape an entire region.” Said Scott Martin, Administrator for Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors. “And now, it’s ready for its next chapter of service. What do guests want to see this park grow into? What are guests asking the park to do today that is different from the early 2000s? This is an exciting moment to tune up this well-loved and beautifully designed public landscape for its next phase of service to Chattanooga and beyond.”
In the Spring of 2023, River City Company contracted with two consulting firms, Agency Landscape & Design and Groundswell, to assist with the next phase of the plan. For example, the “Humanizing Our Parks” strategy outlines that our riverfront parks should focus on the best ways to serve people. This can include items like shade, restrooms, comfortable seating, play elements, and areas to relax. Utilizing the community feedback from the ONE Riverfront Plan along with stakeholder input, the consultants have developed ideas and concepts for future design options and activities.
“We have been honored to receive such incredible feedback on ways we can enhance the Riverfront district from so many community members. We are excited to have the expertise of nationally recognized consulting firms like Agency and Groundswell to continue the momentum and assist us in evolving our Riverfront parks into a place for 365 days of fun and enjoyment. This is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build upon the great assets, continue to welcome events of all sizes but also provide a space for relaxation and comfort to our residents”, said Emily Mack, President & CEO of River City Company.
Following the open house in July, a survey will be launched on the RiverfrontParksCHA.com website where individuals who were unable to attend the event in person can learn about the project and provide feedback on the concepts presented. The survey will close on August 6, 2023. The consulting teams will use all of the feedback from the community open house and online survey to create a roadmap for design and activation options and is anticipated to be released this coming Fall.
More information regarding the ONE Riverfront Plan and the next steps in evolving our Riverfront parks, please visit www.riverfrontparkscha.com.