CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- As the Chattanooga Lookouts begin their second homestand at Erlanger Park, some are raising questions about a long discussed development.
The Bend is planned to be the anchor for the Chattanooga Westside featuring a mix of residential, retail, and entertainment options.
The project broke ground in April 2024, three months before the new ballpark, however there have been no buildings constructed at the site.
Some members of the Chattanooga City Council and the Industrial Development Board (IDB) are asking Urban Story Ventures CEO Jimmy White, the lead developer on the project, when that could occur.
They pressed White on why there has not been any buildings constructed, as per the tax increment financing agreement approved back in 2023, the sales tax revenue to be generated by The Bend is to help fund new public housing on the Westside.
City councilwoman Jenny Hill said, “When the Chattanooga Housing Authority gets to Phase 3, there’s gonna need to be a significant need for infrastructure investment, and that infrastructure investment is not something that the city has in its general fund just lying around.”
White says that despite the lack of building construction, there has been progress on the site, saying that the entirety of the infrastructure work has been completed at a cost of $15 million, which he says he covered personally through a loan.
On the site now lies numerous completed roads along with other signs of infrastructure such as fire hydrants.
He added, “We were not required to have this first phase of infrastructure done per the TIF agreement until April 2027. We completed it in December 2025.”
White mentioned that his original partner on the project backed out, causing a restructuring of the project after they wanted to sell their stake.
He said, “We had a disagreement on the direction of the development and the involvement in the development.”
He also addressed the recent public back and forth over a missed appearance at the Chattanooga City Council on April 7, which led to criticism from council members frustrated with what they felt was a lack of information.
White told them Tuesday, “There’s some stuff that we need to work through, but you have a partner, but I’m saying that we both have the right to cancel that TIF whenever we want to.”
IDB board member Melody Shekari, who was critical of the lack of information in her view given to that board, responded, “I don’t think anyone is considering that but I will say, but I do think we should leave this meeting saying that we want to work together… Maybe it is a communication issue, but there’s definitely been a communication issue going on.”
White argues that cooperation could lead to something special with this project, which he believes will transform downtown Chattanooga.
He said, “What this is an effort to do is to tell you the whole truth, nothing but the truth. We had baby mama drama stuff with my partners, we figured that out right. Again, yours truly stepped up to the plate to say I’m going to execute this vision, and not going to sell the project just because I could make a lot of money.”
White says he expects tax revenue to be generated by the end of the first quarter of 2028.
