Renovations are underway on Provident Place, a new 134-bed facility that will more than double the capacity of Chattanooga’s Maclellan Shelter for Families when it opens in late summer 2027.
Located at the former Airport Inn on Old Lee Highway, Provident Place will replace the existing 52-bed shelter at 727 E. 11th St. and offer expanded services to help families experiencing homelessness achieve long-term stability.
Established in December 2014 and operated by the CHATT Foundation, formerly known as the Chattanooga Community Kitchen, the Maclellan Shelter provides temporary housing for up to 13 families at a time, allowing parents and children to remain together.
The shelter offers meals, laundry facilities, case management, employment assistance and help finding permanent housing. According to the foundation’s 2023 annual impact report, the shelter served 71 families that year.
First Things First will lead day-to-day family support at Provident Place, working with more than a dozen community organizations to provide services including childcare, job readiness, mental healthcare and financial literacy. Three Maclellan family foundations have contributed $2.3 million in seed funding for the project.
The shelter will also benefit from proceeds raised during the 27th Annual Grateful Gobbler Walk, scheduled for Thanksgiving morning at Coolidge Park.
Olos rooftop restaurant opens downtown
Olos and Olos Market have opened at 345 Broad St. in downtown Chattanooga, offering scratch-made Mediterranean cuisine, rooftop dining and a specialty grocery market at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Chattanooga Downtown.
Developed and operated by SquareOne in partnership with Vision Hospitality Group, Olos is billed as Chattanooga’s first full-service rooftop restaurant. The 118-seat restaurant offers shareable dishes such as hummus, falafel and seafood platters, along with Roman pizzas, Turkish flatbreads and cocktails.
Downstairs, the 88-seat Olos Market features a bakery, casual dining and several hundred imported Mediterranean ingredients, including products used in the restaurant’s dishes. A private elevator connects the two venues without requiring guests to pass through the hotel lobby.
SquareOne’s founder and CEO Allen Corey said the concept was developed over four years and included culinary training in Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey.
Both venues serve lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, with weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by dinner. Olos Market also offers weekday grab-and-go breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m.
Southern Adventist receives $3 million grant
Southern Adventist University has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand workforce training opportunities through its Applied Technology program.
The five-year Strengthening Institutions Program grant will fund the development of two nondegree certificate programs in welding and mechatronics through the university’s School of Engineering and Physics. The welding program is scheduled to launch in fall 2027, followed by mechatronics in fall 2028.
More than $1.2 million will go toward new equipment, while more than $1.4 million will support staffing to establish and operate the programs.
The initiative aims to prepare students for careers in technical fields, strengthen partnerships with regional employers and expand educational opportunities for low-income and first-generation students.
Chattanooga launches upgraded GIS map
The city of Chattanooga has launched a new interactive mapping platform designed to improve access to city services and geographic data while saving an estimated $17,000 annually.
The updated Chattanooga GIS Map Viewer (chattanooga.gov) replaces an older platform and allows users to explore information about zoning districts, neighborhood associations, public safety, land ownership and city services.
The new platform offers several upgrades, including 3D modeling, expanded data layers, historical information dating to 2016 and more frequent updates through connections to live data services.
New mapping features include traffic conditions, weather warnings, precipitation forecasts, stream flows, tree canopy coverage and alternative fueling stations. A “Near-Me” tool allows users to locate nearby resources, such as recycling centers and city parks.
The platform also offers improved customization for desktop and mobile devices.
City officials say the platform retains familiar features from the previous system while expanding the information and tools available to residents.
Noon completes Lee medical office renovation
Noon Development has completed the renovation of a nearly 16,000-square-foot commercial property at 6787 Lee Highway, converting the former retail space into medical offices for Pediatric Diagnostic Associates and Diana Health.
The fully leased building underwent interior renovations and exterior improvements, including an extended sidewalk and new landscaping. The property offers 60 parking spaces and access to Interstate 75 and Highway 153.
Pediatric Diagnostic Associates, which has served the Chattanooga area since 1935, partnered with Noon Development on the project and opened its new location earlier this year. Diana Health, which provides obstetrics, gynecology, mental health, nutrition and wellness services, also recently moved into the building.
Noon Development says it has additional opportunities available for healthcare providers interested in property ownership, custom renovations or leasing. For more information, call 423 531-1330.
Alton Park Connector opens first phases
The first phases of the Alton Park Connector are now open to the public, marking a milestone in a project nearly a decade in the making.
The project converts 1.3 miles of a former railroad corridor into a multiuse path connecting Broad Street to St. Elmo Avenue and linking residents to more than 25 miles of existing trails.
First proposed in 2018, the connector is designed to provide safer walking and biking routes to parks, schools, jobs and essential services, particularly in neighborhoods with low rates of car ownership.
Construction of the initial phases was funded through a $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, with matching funds from the city.
The next phase is supported by a $6.4 million federal appropriation through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, secured with support from U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann.
Trust for Public Land has overseen the project’s design and construction since acquiring the former rail corridor in 2018.
SORBA releases mountain bike guide
SORBA Chattanooga has released the Chattanooga Area Mountain Bike Guide, a full-color pocket guide featuring 12 trail systems and more than 190 miles of mountain biking trails within 30 minutes of downtown Chattanooga.
The guide provides information for riders of all skill levels, including trail descriptions, difficulty levels and nearby dining, lodging and recreational opportunities.
Featured destinations in the guide include Stringer’s Ridge, Walden’s Ridge Park, Raccoon Mountain, Enterprise South Nature Park and the 34-mile River to Clouds Route.
Each recommended route includes a QR code linking to Trailforks, a navigation app offering offline maps.
The guide was developed in partnership with Outdoor Chattanooga, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Tiny Giant, with funding from the Lyndhurst Foundation.
A 2022 study by UTC’s Tourism Center estimated that mountain biking contributes $6.9 million annually to the local economy, supporting 73 jobs and generating nearly $483,000 in state and local taxes.
Printed copies are available at local bike shops, Outdoor Chattanooga and select businesses for a suggested $10 donation supporting trail construction and maintenance.
The guide is also available free at sorbachattanooga.org/trails.
Legal Aid receives $395,614 grant
Legal Aid of East Tennessee, which has an office in Chattanooga, has received a $395,614 grant from the Legal Services Corporation to expand legal assistance for low-income Tennesseans.
The funding, awarded through LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund, will support the expansion of LAET’s expungement and reentry program, which helps individuals clear eligible criminal records and overcome barriers to employment, housing and financial stability.
The grant will allow LAET to add staff, improve volunteer attorney training and introduce document automation technology to streamline case preparation.
The organization will also strengthen partnerships with workforce development programs, reentry organizations and law school clinics to expand services throughout its 26-county service area.
Established in 2014, the Pro Bono Innovation Fund has awarded 200 grants totaling more than $55 million nationwide.
The program is funded through congressional appropriations to LSC, an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974.
Chattanooga selected for housing initiative
Chattanooga is among the first U.S. cities selected for a new Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative aimed at increasing housing availability through reforms that have proven successful in other municipalities.
The city will receive between $450,000 and $750,000 in funding, along with technical assistance, to expand the construction of accessory dwelling units, which are smaller, secondary residences built on existing residential properties.
The funding will support technology to streamline permit approvals, the development of permit-ready architectural plans and additional staff to accelerate housing projects.
Chattanooga will draw on housing reforms implemented in Austin, Texas, where changes to residential development regulations have encouraged construction of additional housing units.
The city previously approved legislation allowing ADUs, but few have been built.
The initiative aims to help Chattanooga cut approval times in half and double its pipeline of accessory dwelling units within two years.
Chattanooga is one of up to 30 municipalities expected to participate in the program, which draws on housing initiatives developed in San Diego and Atlanta.