The Standard-Coosa-Thatcher Mill on Chattanooga's east side is a run-down, shell of a building. But that wasn't always the case.
In its heyday during the early 1900s, the mill was known as one of the leading textile plants in the Southeast, surrounded by homes built to house employees who worked there.
But by the 1980s, the U.S. textile industry had started to decline, with jobs moving overseas. By the early 2000s, the mill had shut down completely -- and in the years following, the building and the neighborhood surrounding it have fallen into disrepair. Today it's one of the city's poorest neighborhoods, plagued by drugs and prostitution.
"Which is really how we came to call this Mill Town," says Ethan Collier, president and CEO of Collier Construction. "Long before we were here, before we rebranded it ... this was a mill town."
In the spring of 2020, Collier's team launched what has grown to become a $220 million revitalization project for the 45-acre brownfield, now known as Mill Town.
As a lifelong Chattanoogan, Collier says he has seen many areas of the city brought back to life. "And as a developer, I have a unique opportunity to be able to identify areas of the city that are lacking that type of investment, and be intentional about where we invest, where we build to better support our city."
Collier reports that his team and their partners have completed the first 120 housing units surrounding the old mill, all of which are fully occupied. Ultimately, the area will have about 1,000 units, offering a diverse range of affordability levels, centered around the refurbished mill, which will house several one-level residences and some commercial space.
Photo by Matt Hamilton / Collier Construction President and CEO Ethan Collier began work on Mill Town in the spring of 2020.
The idea is to create a town square atmosphere, he says, where residents can dine and socialize with neighbors.
Already, Collier has noticed what he considers to be a ripple effect in Chattanooga's east end, with new businesses moving into the area. Within the next ten years or so, he expects 23rd Street will have a completely different look and feel from what it has today.
"I think we will see 23rd look like Cherokee Boulevard," he says. "Just 10 years ago, I don't think anybody thought that they would live on Cherokee Boulevard, but today they do. And I think in the not too distant future, 23rd is going to take shape very much like that."
Despite Oak Grove's challenges, many Chattanoogans have called the neighborhood home for generations.
In response, Collier has teamed up with Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE), a nonprofit focused on promoting generational wealth, particularly through home ownership. Together, they are collaborating on ways to keep people in the neighborhood, finding ways to offer housing options below market rates.
Over the past year, CNE assisted Oak Grove residents in establishing a neighborhood watch group, helping to empower local residents to manage the growth of their community. The response to Mill Town has been mixed, says CNE Vice President Justin Tirsun.
"We have some neighbors who are concerned with the number of people moving into the neighborhood, which is why it was critical for us to help them build their own neighborhood group, and a voice, and a vision -- so that doesn't get overrun by new people who are moving in," he says.
On the positive side, Tirsun points out that Mill Town has led to a reduction in the number of vacant and blighted housing in the Oak Grove area. It has also helped "shine the light" on the struggles of the community, and prompted increased city government investment in policing, streetlight repairs and new sidewalks.
But beyond the pros and cons of Mill Town, Tirsun suggests the project raises broader questions for low-income households citywide. Rising rents throughout Chattanooga are causing problems for those who are already in low-income situations or living on fixed incomes.
"It (displacement) is not an Oak Grove-only issue," he says. "We are seeing some of it (in the Oak Grove community), but it's difficult to discern. Is that because the market over the entire city is going up, or is it a direct impact because of Mill Town? It's hard to tell.
"If the market is pushing up prices ... it's going to push up prices everywhere else. So that's a question: 'How is Chattanooga going to deal with that?'"
The revitalization at Mill Town will only enhance business and the environment in that area of town, says Demetrus Coonrod, Chattanooga City Councilwoman for District 9, which includes the Oak Grove community.
"This development is about rebuilding a community. It's creating jobs, improving infrastructure and creating a safer environment that we all dream of living in," she says. "It will most definitely bring value to those who still reside there.
"It's very inclusive -- creates mixed-income environments for people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, people from all walks of life -- those who want to be homeowners and those who want to lease. By being inclusive of all people, the mixed-use housing at Mill Town breaks up the development that creates concentrated poverty."
Coonrod also notes that a revitalized neighborhood will enhance schools on Chattanooga's east side, allowing students to walk to school and helping to attract top-quality teachers and principals.
"It's an added benefit for families seeking a great place for their children's education," she says.
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