What to do with 450000 square feet of vacant office space?

[flith]

Chattanooga's RiverCity Co. has hired a Texas company, AngelouEcomomics to come up with a plan to fill the vacant office space by 2008. Blue Cross Blue Shield is expected to move in 2009.

AngelouEconomics will conduct a 5 month study to form a stratigic plan for the central business district. The CBD is bounded by 4th Street, US 27, Georgia Ave, and 12th Street, forming a 50 block area. An obvious first option is to create more houseing, but they also plan to help spur strong job growth. The study will identify the types of industries and companies that would provide a high impact downtown. Angelou Ecomomics helps cities put the framwork in place to grow it's high tech sector.

This study will not include the River Front or the Southside. They would like the success these districts have had flow over into the CBD.

An article on this was in the Chattanooga TimesFree Press July 14, 2006

[Rural King]

Interesting question, I will be interested to see what sort of ideas this firm develops to fill the space.

[flith]

Here is the article

I forgot to mention, and the article doesn't mention it either, BCBS is spread out over multiple buildings and blocks throught the center of downtown Chattanooga, as well as it's East Gate location in E. Brainerd.

[Hankster]

Here is the article

I forgot to mention, and the article doesn't mention it either, BCBS is spread out over multiple building and blocks throught the center of downtown Chattanooga, as well as it's East Gate location in E. Brainerd.

I sure hope they achieve their goal to use this space to attract companies which add news jobs to the area. That would be an unexpected (At least to me) benefit for the BCBS move.

[flith]

Here is the link for a survey on downtown Chattanooga, set up by AngelouEconomics. It's intended for residents or businesses

[Hankster]

Here is the link for a survey on downtown Chattanooga, set up by AngelouEconomics. It's intended for residents or businesses

Thanks for posting the survey and info about what AngelouEconomics are trying to do. This is a very important endeavor, and I hope it's very sucessful.

[HABANERO7]

What

[Hankster]

What

[ATLBrain]

I just drove back from Noogie today and heard a rumor that FSG bank was interested in the BCBS "Gold" building. Of course, they are buidling their new HQ several blocks over. But by the time BCBS moves out of the "Gold" building, FSG could be looking for a new, higher profile building. Their new building is only two floors built over an existing two story parking garage. I think it's only around 50K square feet. It could make for a very smart long term investment.

[flith]

Here is the link for a survey on downtown Chattanooga, set up by AngelouEconomics. It's intended for residents or businesses

Here are the initial results from the survey.

Key points:

Better connections with UTC and downtown

More parking needed

Expanded puplic transit

Better mix of housing and retail

1200 residents and businesses took the survey

They would like to see software development and professional firms downtown as well as grocery and clothing stores

Development plan to be released in November

[Hankster]

Here are the initial results from the survey.

Key points:

Better connections with UTC and downtown

More parking needed

Expanded puplic transit

Better mix of housing and retail

1200 residents and businesses took the survey

They would like to see software development and professional firms downtown as well as grocery and clothing stores

Development plan to be released in November

Thanks for the heads up. I will look forward to hearing the details of their development plan.

[flith]

Blue Cross Blue Shield is selling the first of it's buildings it will vacate. The picture is below. The Miller Hub building comes with 674 parking spaces connected by tunnel from across Broad St. They declined to mention the asking price in the Chattanooga Times Free Press article, but mentioned there has been a lot of interest from in town and out of town of people.

[Hankster]

Blue Cross Blue Shield is selling the first of it's buildings it will vacate. The picture is below. The Miller Hub building comes with 674 parking spaces connected by tunnel from across Broad St. They declined to mention the asking price in the Chattanooga Times Free Press article, but mentioned there has been a lot of interest from in town and out of town of people.

[flith]

From what I've read there will little difficulty selling these buildings. That's great news for Chattanooga.

[flith]

Here are the initial results from the survey.

Key points:

Better connections with UTC and downtown

More parking needed

Expanded puplic transit

Better mix of housing and retail

1200 residents and businesses took the survey

They would like to see software development and professional firms downtown as well as grocery and clothing stores

Development plan to be released in November

[flith]

One of BCBS's former buildings will become a parking garage. 730 Chestnut St. is a 6 story office building that will be rennovated to become parking for the MacLellan Bldg hotel project.