Choo Choo Partners, LP received approval for a zoning change Monday that will allow for continued development at the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission unanimously voted to change the 24 acre area bounded by 1400 Market St., 1435 Rossville Ave. and 13 East 14th St. from M-1 Manufacturing Zone to C-3 Central Business Zone that will allow for the planned mixed uses.
The 24 acre site that now holds the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and Track 29 is slated for a new hotel and a new mix of residential units.
There will also be a number of new entertainment venues.
President of Choo Choo Partners Adam Kinsey asked for the clarification of two zoning conditions before the vote. The area is currently zoned C-1 but is in the process of being changed to Form Based Code which will have different requirements, all of which have not yet been determined.
The maximum height of buildings in a Form Based Code zone is now four floors. That is expected to be changed to six or eight stories. Mr. Kinsey told the commission that when a new hotel is built, an eight story building is preferred. He said the old depot structure is 85 feet but the terminal dome is approximately 100 which is compatible with an eight floor building that is also 100 feet.
Another requirement of C-1 zoning is that 80 percent of the ground level of a building facing a primary public street must be leasable. Mr. Kinsey questioned if that requirement would apply to all the buildings in the planned complex since the property faces Market Street. He said when a new hotel is built, the owners would not want to have to lease out 80 percent of the first floor.
In answer, he was told that the Choo Choo Complex is an exception since most requests for a zoning change involve just one building. This area involves multiple streets and multiple buildings and the ground floor leasing requirement would not apply to the new hotel building.
Approval was also given to build an eight-story hotel. It was noted that the eight-story maximum only applies to this hotel and structures that are connected to the main terminal. Any other building in the complex will be restricted to five stories. Executive Director of the Regional Planning Agency John Bridger said that if zoning is changed to Form Based Code, those new conditions will then apply to the decisions made today. For example, if the height limit is determined to be six floors, the hotel will be restricted to six stories. Or, if the code puts an eight-story limit to building heights, Mr. Kinsey would not be limited to five stories for other buildings.