Chattanooga’s riverfront has undergone dramatic transformations over the past several decades, but city leaders say its next evolution depends on something that has become almost as much a part of the city’s identity as the Tennessee River itself: public-private collaboration.
That philosophy was on display Aug. 3 as the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation announced a $10 million gift to the Riverfront Parks Next campaign, the largest corporate contribution to the project to date.
The investment will fund the BlueCross Healthy Place at Ross’s Landing, an expansive play area that will anchor the reimagined riverfront while bringing the campaign significantly closer to its fundraising goal.
The announcement was celebrated as more than another fundraising milestone. Speakers from government, business and philanthropy described it as the latest example of Chattanooga’s long-standing ability to unite public investment with private giving to tackle ambitious civic projects.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly called that tradition one of Chattanooga’s defining strengths.
“We have a long tradition in Chattanooga of what we might call radical collaboration,” Kelly said. “This is an incredible example of how everybody is chipping in to make this happen.”
Building a healthier riverfront
The redesigned Ross’s Landing is envisioned as a destination built as much for families as for visitors. Plans include additional shade, seating, accessible playground equipment designed by PlayCore and new gathering spaces intended to encourage residents to spend more time along the riverfront.
For the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, the investment reflects a broader strategy that extends well beyond Chattanooga. The foundation has funded Healthy Places playgrounds in communities across Tennessee, based on the belief that thoughtfully designed public spaces can improve both physical and mental health while strengthening neighborhoods.
“What we’ve learned is that people show up when a space is genuinely built for them,” said Dalya Qualls White, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s senior vice president and chief communications officer. “Our employees live here. Our families live here. We’ll be out here with everybody else, and I can’t wait to see what Chattanooga makes of this space.”
That emphasis on health echoed throughout Monday’s event.
State Sen. Bo Watson said Tennessee’s investment in parks is increasingly viewed as more than an amenity, arguing that encouraging people to spend time outdoors has become part of the state’s broader effort to improve public health and reduce healthcare costs.
“Nothing moves children more than giving them a playground to play on,” Watson said, noting that parks can help draw children away from screens while encouraging healthier lifestyles.
A vision beyond the park
The project itself has relied on a similar mix of partnerships.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp recalled that city and county leaders initially committed $10 million locally before asking the state to contribute $15 million – a request that was ultimately approved. Since then, River City Company’s capital campaign, led by Ward Davenport, has worked to secure private donations from businesses, foundations and individual philanthropists to close the remaining funding gap.
Former Chattanooga Mayor and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said that combination of public leadership and private investment has become one of the community’s greatest strengths.
“The public sector leadership and involvement financially certainly has led to the private sector wanting to leverage that,” Corker said. “In spite of the massive amount of public investment, the private sector is going to match or give more than even the public sector because of their leadership.”
Even with the latest gift, speakers suggested the park itself is only part of a much larger vision for downtown.
Corker argued that creating an exceptional public space must eventually be paired with additional housing and residential development nearby so the riverfront becomes woven into everyday life rather than serving primarily as an event venue.
“The only way that this is ultimately going to be as successful as it needs to be is for us to densify this area so that there are families that are walking from their homes down to this playground,” he said. “Until we densify this area, we’ll never see it be exactly what we want it to be.”
River City Company President and CEO Emily Mack said the announcement represents another step toward that broader vision. While many communities can imagine transformative public projects, she said Chattanooga has built a reputation for turning those ambitions into reality through cooperation among government, business and philanthropy.
“What we’re experiencing here today is what happens when an entire community – businesses, philanthropy, families and government – come together to execute an ambitious vision,” Mack said. “Any community can come together to dream. But in Chattanooga, we come together to build.”