Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly joined community leaders Monday, July 20, to launch Bring Back the BLVD, a collaborative initiative aimed at restoring Rossville Boulevard as a revitalized commercial corridor while attracting new investment and supporting local businesses.
The effort centers on securing a federal Opportunity Zone designation for the Rossville Boulevard corridor through Tennessee’s recently enacted Opportunity Zones 2.0 program.
If approved, the designation would provide federal tax incentives designed to encourage private investment in existing properties, transforming vacant and underutilized sites into new commercial and economic opportunities.
As part of the application process, Wamp has recommended the Rossville Boulevard corridor as Hamilton County’s top priority for Opportunity Zone designation.
“We should prioritize investing in communities where the infrastructure already exists, not pushing growth farther out,” Wamp said.
“Rossville Boulevard has the infrastructure, location, and employment base to thrive once again. This kind of restorative growth strategy will ensure that our families benefit from the new opportunities coming to Chattanooga and Hamilton County.”
Rossville Boulevard has long served as one of Chattanooga’s primary gateways, connecting neighborhoods, businesses, and industrial areas throughout the city and county.
Once a thriving commercial hub, local leaders say the corridor remains well-positioned for revitalization because of its strategic location and existing infrastructure.
Kelly said the initiative represents years of collaboration among local governments, businesses, property owners, and community organizations working to restore the historic corridor.
“Today, the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County launched Bring Back the BLVD–an initiative that will spark the revitalization of one of Chattanooga’s main gateways,” Kelly said. “We are advocating to make this area an Opportunity Zone under the State of Tennessee’s Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, which, if approved, creates federal tax incentives to encourage private investment in existing properties, transforming vacant and underutilized sites.”
Kelly added that the Opportunity Zone recommendation has now been submitted to the State of Tennessee for consideration.
He also emphasized the long-term economic benefits of the designation.
“Opportunity Zones are one of the best economic development tools we have in our toolbox because they encourage investors to put down deep roots and stay committed to a neighborhood’s long-term success,” Kelly said.
“When private dollars fill vacant storefronts or build new commercial spaces, it stabilizes local property tax revenues, creates neighborhood job opportunities, and complements city-funded initiatives like commercial façade and storefront activation grants.”
Chattanooga City Council District 7 Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley, whose constituency includes much of the Rossville Boulevard corridor, praised the initiative and reflected on the area’s historic importance.
“I’ve always believed Rossville Boulevard is a place worth believing in,” Dotley said. “For generations, it’s been one of Chattanooga’s main gateways… it’s our responsibility to help create more opportunity. Over the last several years, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.”
District 7 includes portions of St. Elmo, Alton Park, East Lake, Downtown/Southside, and the Eastside–communities directly connected to the Rossville Boulevard corridor and its ongoing redevelopment efforts.
The initiative also highlights the contributions of local business and community leaders who have invested in the boulevard’s future.
“Investing in Rossville Boulevard has always been about believing in its potential,” said Heidi Hefferlin, founder and managing partner of HK Architects.
“Our team has been proud to work alongside neighbors and community partners to help create a stronger sense of place and show what’s possible here. I’m grateful to everyone who has continued to believe in the Boulevard over the years. That persistence has helped spark the momentum for its next chapter of redevelopment.”
If the state approves the Opportunity Zone designation, supporters say the federal tax incentives could accelerate redevelopment by encouraging private investment in existing commercial properties, creating jobs, strengthening neighborhood businesses, and building on years of revitalization efforts already underway along one of Chattanooga’s most recognizable corridors.