One year after a fire destroyed its classroom and forced it to operate from borrowed spaces, The Chattery has announced plans to purchase its former home at 1800 Rossville Avenue in Chattanooga.
The creative education nonprofit had occupied the space since 2019 before losing it and all its contents in a fire in October. Since then, The Chattery has hosted its eclectic lineup of classes across temporary venues such as Common House, The Edney Innovation Center and Society of Work, thanks to an outpouring of community support.
The purchase will allow The Chattery to double its size from 2,500 to 5,000 square feet. The expanded facility will feature dedicated office space for rent to like-minded nonprofits, artists and entrepreneurs. It will also include a creative reuse thrift shop focused on arts and crafts supplies, meeting and rental rooms, and a wider variety of class offerings.
To help fund the purchase, the organization has launched a capital campaign titled “From Ashes to Action,” with a goal of raising $50,000. Donations can be made at thechattery.org/buildingfund or mailed directly to The Chattery at 1800 Rossville Avenue, Suite 108B, Chattanooga, 37408.
The organization also invites corporate sponsors to consider naming rights opportunities.
Supporters can follow campaign updates and building progress on The Chattery’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Chattanooga getting second area code – 729
The Tennessee Public Utility Commission has approved a new area code overlay for the 423 region, which includes Chattanooga and surrounding East Tennessee communities. Beginning this fall, the new 729 area code will be introduced alongside 423 due to increasing demand for new telephone numbers.
This change means all local calls within the 423 region must now be dialed using 10 digits – area code plus the seven-digit phone number. Calls made using only seven digits will no longer be completed and will be redirected to an automated message.
The transition to 10-digit dialing has been underway since August 2024, when TPUC began a permissive dialing period to help customers adjust to the new format. The new 729 area code will begin appearing on newly issued phone numbers starting Sept. 5. Customers with existing 423 numbers will not need to change their numbers.
The overlay affects a wide area, including Chattanooga, Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport and smaller surrounding communities. All local call rates, coverage areas and services will remain unchanged.
To prepare, TPUC recommends updating any devices or systems that rely on seven-digit dialing – such as medical alert devices, alarm systems, fax machines and contact lists – to ensure they can accommodate the 10-digit format and recognize 729 as a valid area code.
Customers should also update printed materials, business cards and ID tags to reflect the area code in phone numbers.
Rotary Rocks Club launching in fall
A new Rotary club is coming to Chattanooga with a fresh mission and modern format. Rotary Rocks Chattanooga, set to launch this fall, will focus on advancing opportunities for women through service while embracing Rotary International’s core motto: “Service Above Self.”
Rotary Rocks will bring together professionals, community leaders and changemakers to create sustainable, scalable solutions to both local and global challenges.
“This is a modern take on a cherished tradition,” says Jane Hampton Bowen, president of Rotary Rocks Chattanooga and chair of the Rotary Leadership Institute for District 6780. “We’re building a space where service, fellowship, leadership development and impact intersect – with a rhythm that respects life balance and amplifies purpose.”
Rotary Rocks Chattanooga will follow a rotating weekly meeting structure that includes fellowship gatherings, club assemblies, guest speaker presentations and hands-on service projects. The club’s schedule is designed to keep members involved in monthly community work.
The group’s service projects will align with Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus: peacebuilding and conflict resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; community economic development; and environmental stewardship.
Weekly meetings will take place on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Chattanooga.
For more information about joining or supporting the club, contact Jane Hampton Bowen at janehamptonbowen@yahoo.com.
La Paz names finalists for Leadership Awards
La Paz Chattanooga has unveiled the finalists for the 2025 Latino Leadership Awards, an annual celebration honoring the contributions of the Chattanooga region’s Latino community. This year’s event will take place Friday, Sept. 19, at The Westin Chattanooga and will feature an evening of dinner and dancing.
Founded in 2009, the Latino Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a lasting impact in fields ranging from education and the arts to business and public service.
This year’s finalists for Latino Leader of the Year include Viridiana Marin of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, Jazmine Fernandez of Hamilton County Schools and Xavier Cotto of Southside Youth Development, who also serves on the La Paz board.
The Chattanooga’s Choice category – which is open to public voting – features Ensamble de México dance group, Louie Marin-Howard of The Pop Up Project and Jacqueline Rivera-Cornier of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.
Finalists for the Latino Community Champion Award, which honors an organization or business, are Baker Donelson, The Pop Up Project and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
In the Emerging Latino Leader category, the finalists are Jennifer Velasquez and Steisy Vasquez, both of Chattanooga State Community College, and Alex De La Cruz of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
La Paz has also named three finalists for its Volunteer of the Year Award: Daisy Hernandez Puac, Brittany Faith and Melissa Callejas.
For Latino Business of the Year, the contenders are Fernando’s Restaurant, Jacinto’s Auto Sales and Sign Revolution.
In the Latino New Business of the Year category, the finalists are Victoria’s Bouquets, Little Venezuela and Radio Fiesta Latina.
Vote for Chattanooga’s Choice and purchase tickets at lapazchattanooga.org/awards.
Kelly budget proposes tax rate cut, pay raises
Mayor Tim Kelly has introduced a supplemental budget proposal that would deliver the largest property tax rate cut in Chattanooga in decades while increasing pay for police officers and firefighters.
The plan would lower the city’s property tax rate from $2.25 to $1.99 per $100 of assessed valuation. Under state law, residential property is assessed at 25% of its appraised value, while commercial property is assessed at 40%.
According to the Kelly administration, the proposal maintains balance by funding critical government services – including road paving – while accounting for a 22.5% increase in inflation since the city’s last revenue adjustment in 2021.
“This is a balanced proposal that funds police and fire pay raises and critical government services like road paving while making a historic cut to the property tax rate,” Kelly says. “We have a generational opportunity to ensure Chattanooga is the city of its full potential; a city with safe neighborhoods, good roads and the best quality of life. If we fail to act accordingly, we will lose our great momentum and fall further behind.”
The proposal comes amid urgent warnings from public safety leaders about staffing shortages. In a recent City Council session, Police Chief John Chambers and Fire Chief Terry Knowles said both departments face losing personnel to better-paying agencies.
Knowles, whose appointment is pending Council confirmation, warned of consequences if pay is not increased.
“Being a firefighter is one of the toughest jobs there is, but our men and women are struggling just to make ends meet,” Knowles said. “As more of our most experienced firefighters reach retirement age, we’re at serious risk of losing our ability to adequately protect Chattanooga. I don’t want the day to come when we have to start figuring out which fire stations to close on which days because we don’t have the staffing.”
The proposed budget is expected to go before the City Council for consideration in the coming weeks.
Kenco celebrates 75th anniversary
Kenco marked a major milestone Aug. 1 with a celebration at its Chattanooga headquarters in honor of the company’s 75th anniversary. The event, held at 2001 Riverside Drive, brought together company leadership, local officials, community members and current and former employees to recognize the logistics company’s long-standing presence in Chattanooga and its continued growth across North America.
Speakers included Kenco President and CEO Denis Reilly; Tony Pritzker, chairman and CEO of Pritzker Private Capital; former Kenco Chairman and CEO Jane Kennedy Greene; and Sam Smartt, son of Kenco co-founder Sam Smartt.
Founded in 1950 as Cherokee Warehouses by Jim Kennedy Jr. and Sam Smartt Sr., the company was renamed Kenco in 1979 and has since grown into one of North America’s leading third-party logistics providers.
Today, Kenco employs more than 7,500 people across 140 locations, including 800 team members in the Chattanooga area.
The company provides a wide range of integrated logistics services, including distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, transportation management, material handling equipment services and tailored supply chain solutions.