There’s always something new in Chattanooga! While Chattanooga has long been known for its stunning natural beauty and welcoming community, the city has begun to take major steps forward in urban revitalization and thoughtful development. From a reimagined urban park to a 120-acre mixed-use development and more, the Scenic City is undergoing a transformation that’s hard to ignore. Here, we’ll explore just some of the new growth happening in Chattanooga.
Montague Park Redesign
Once a quiet and often overlooked green space, Montague Park is set to become one of the city’s most dynamic public spaces. The park, which currently houses Chattanooga’s Sculpture Fields, will undergo a major redesign that will introduce new walking paths, a recreational field, thousands of trees, multiple play areas, and so much more.
The city hopes that the reimagined Montague Park will serve not only as a recreational destination but also as a gathering place for farmers markets and other community events. More information about the new design can be found on the park’s website.
The city’s parks and outdoors department has partnered with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand for the redesign. While the team is currently finishing the design documents, the city plans for phased improvements to begin in late 2026.
The Bend Chattanooga
Just a short walk from downtown, The Bend is the biggest riverfront development since the 1980s when the Tennessee Aquarium and other waterfront attractions were created. Encompassing over 120 acres of former industrial land along the Tennessee River, The Bend hopes to create a vibrant, walkable community for residential and commercial use.
Developers plan to offer over 1,000 residential units (including apartments, townhomes, and condos), office and retail spaces, full-service hotels, Chattanooga’s largest indoor/outdoor music venue, walking paths, and so much more at The Bend.
This multi-billion dollar development broke ground in April of 2024, and developers hope the first residential development will be complete in spring of 2027.
Southside: Still Booming
Chattanooga’s Southside continues to evolve as a hotbed of creativity, entrepreneurship, and culture—and the growth isn’t slowing down just yet. Key developments are bringing more residential options to the area, including townhomes and condominiums.
One of the largest developments in progress is Central Crossing, a 50,000-square-foot development at Central Avenue. This $17 million project will feature 32 four-level condominiums as well as space for restaurants, boutiques, and other commercial uses.
Elsewhere in Southside, Mapleleaf Realco has plans to develop 100 townhomes and condos alongside 15,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. This $50 million project will take place in the East Main Street corridor with the first phase of townhouses being built on Madison Street.
South Broad Street
South Broad Street, long seen as a transitional corridor between downtown and Lookout Mountain, is emerging as one of Chattanooga’s most promising areas for investment and revitalization. In 2022, the Hamilton County Commission and Chattanooga City Council approved a plan to build a mixed-use stadium, hoping to catalyze over $1 billion in new investment and $2.3 billion in economic impact for the area.
This stadium will be the new home base for the Chattanooga Lookouts, and developers plan for the team to move into the facility for the 2026 season. Outside of housing Chattanooga’s home team, the stadium will be used for ticketed and free concerts, high school and college athletics, weddings, holiday events, and much more. When not in use for an event, the stadium will be open to the public for use as a park.
During construction, the developers hope to save and reuse as many of the site’s historic buildings as possible, creating a stadium that is unique and highlights the area’s rich history. Besides the stadium, developers plan to build multi-family residential buildings with hundreds of units and a class-A office building.
Riverfront Park
Recently, the city has announced the ONE Riverfront Plan, with eight strategies to reinvigorate the riverfront and turn it into a versatile space for Chattanoogans to enjoy year-round. Developers hope the enhancements will “honor history, connect corridors in the district, embrace ecology, soften and provide shade, along with using the inspiration of a southern porch for areas along the river.
Developers hope to share a final plan this summer with the first phase of construction starting in early 2026. The redesigned Riverfront Park will boast new play space (with an all-abilities playgrounds), an expanded pier for the public to enjoy, restaurant space, a recreation zone under Highway 27, and much more for locals and tourists to enjoy.
A City in Motion
From riverfront revitalization to reimagined green spaces and buzzing cultural corridors, Chattanooga is stepping confidently into its next chapter. As the city continues to grow, these developments offer residential, commercial, and recreational spaces for the public to enjoy.
As these projects take shape, residents and visitors alike will find even more to love about the Scenic City—and more reasons to invest in its future.
Ali Lemmons, BS, Summa Cum Laude
Ali Lemmons is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a minor in computer science. While at UTC, Ali also earned the distinction of Summa Cum Laude, the Outstanding Senior Award for the communication department, and was inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha honor society. Now, as editor/digital content specialist for CMC Media & Marketing Group, Ali leads the ideation, conceptualization, and development of numerous health, wellness, and lifestyle articles published in print and online for HealthScope, CityScope, and Choose Chattanooga magazines – premier publications serving S.E. Tennessee and North Georgia. She also is the lead copywriter for the company’s social media accounts. In her free time, Ali enjoys exploring Chattanooga’s many hiking trails and searching for the best burger in the city.
