Revitalizing Downtown
Downtown is the signature of a city - what happens downtown enhances the entire community as a place to live, work and play. Through the coordinated efforts of both the public and private sectors, plans have been made and actions taken to rejuvenate the downtown area.
Ross's Landing was the birthplace of the City of Chattanooga, and had been a vibrant center of growth and development for many decades. But by the early 1980's Ross's Landing had become a district of abandoned factories and empty warehouses.
Now Ross's Landing is once again the gateway to the city, reborn through a community-wide effort that raised money, enlisted the talents of prominent artists, architects and land planners and asked for input from every resident of the Chattanooga area. The result unites a revitalized downtown to a restored riverfront; features major new attractions like the Tennessee Aquarium, IMAX 3-D Theater and the Creative Discovery Museum, a movie theater and numerous restaurants that beckon citizens to come and enjoy the downtown area.
 Millions of dollars have also been invested in historic renovations in downtown Chattanooga in the past twenty years. The list of renovated buildings include: the Tivoli Theatre, formerly a 1920's vaudeville house; Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, originally dedicated to World War I veterans; Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel, once a railroad terminal; Sports Barn and Big River Grille, both former trolley car barns; Warehouse Row designer outlet mall, originally railroad warehouses.
Chattanooga hosts its very own 100 year old bridge which has been renovated into a pedestrian bridge and spans the Tennessee River right in the downtown area. Residents and visitors enjoy a leisurely walk or an exhilarating jog across the bridge. Employees in the area can be seen reading or having lunch during the noon hour on this popular bridge.
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