Last year, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly introduced the One Chattanooga plan. During this year’s State of the City, he provided updates on where the plan is at and where the administration hopes it will go.
The mayor also touched on topics like economic vitality within Black communities, affordable housing, infrastructure, public health, building a competitive economy + being a responsive government.
Big takeaways
Mayor Kelly said his focus on the disparities among communities within the city was based on his own years in nonprofits + the idea that economic mobility was the thing holding Chattanooga back. The plan’s efforts include:
- The Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy partnership with the Department of Labor and National League of Cities + the Southern Cities Economic Inclusion initiative
- Investment of $2.9 million for entrepreneurship access programs that are in development
When discussing the growth of Chattanooga, Mayor Kelly said that it’s a “Goldilocks” problem. “We want to be able to accommodate as many people who want to be here,” he added. To ensure affordable housing there have been:
- Public investment priorities and resident access to resources such as free credit counseling + housing resource fairs
- Housing for 800 residents through direct city support + preserving and creating hundreds of affordable housing units (~70 sites) including One Westside
- Efforts to reduce homelessness, including a pilot program
Outside of housing, Mayor Kelly touched on economic growth and public transit. He said Chattanooga spearheaded the research to bring Amtrak to the city, connecting us with Atlanta and Nashville.
He added that these ambitions in infrastructure wouldn’t be possible without EPB under David Wade’s leadership. He said they bring innovation, creativity, and forward-thinking that will lead to a “bright future under quantum computing.”
Watch the full conversation breaking down the progress + share your thoughts after.
“We’re not there yet, but our city has its mojo back. I can proudly say that the state of our city is strong.” — Mayor Tim Kelly
