Planners approve South Broad plan

Chattanooga planning panel Monday accepted the South Broad District study that suggests new housing, a revitalized Howard School and more entertainment including a multi-use ballpark.

Eric Myers, who heads the Chattanooga Design Studio, offered a summary of the 128-page plan issued late last month after a series of public meetings that drew several hundred people to offer a vision for that area’s future.

City Councilman Erskine Oglesby Jr. told the ChattanoogaHamilton County Regional Planning Commission that he sees the plan as transformational to the district bounded by vacant foundry land, Howard, Interstate 24 and Chattanooga Creek.

The report foresees new housing along with commercial and retail space, upgraded parks, streets, sidewalks and other infrastructure, including a minor league ballpark and entertainment facility to serve as a catalyst for development.