CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Trust for Public Land and the city of Chattanooga held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the project first phases, which will connect Broad Street to St. Elmo Avenue on the Alton Park Connector.
Construction was funded by a $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, with matching capital funds provided by the city of Chattanooga. The Alton Park Connector converts 1.3 miles of a former rail line into a multi-use path, connecting residents to more than 25 miles of existing trails.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said the old rail line will now connect Alton Park residents with a safe way to walk or bike to parks, essential services and job opportunities, and that extending the Riverwalk has sparked economic growth along its path.
First proposed in 2018, the Connector is intended to serve census tracts with the lowest local rates of car ownership, helping residents commute to parks, schools, jobs, and essential services more safely. Trust for Public Land has been managing the design and construction of the project since acquiring the original rail bed segment in 2018.
The next phase of the Connector is supported by a $6.4 million federal appropriation secured through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, championed by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann. Noel Durant, Tennessee State Director for Trust for Public Land, said the group is glad to welcome Alton Park families to an asset meant to benefit the community for generations.
Alton Park is a historically African-American neighborhood in southwest Chattanooga, occupying the valley between Lookout Mountain and I-24 with affordable housing and proximity to the revitalizing St. Elmo corridor. Alton Park occupies ZIP code 37410 in southwest Chattanooga between the foot of Lookout Mountain and the I-24 corridor, south of the Southside district and north of St. Elmo.
