CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The James A. Henry School on the Westside has been a part of that neighborhood since the 1930s.
It is currently being renovated.
This revitalization is set to bring over 100 new Head Start seats to this community, a resource that is needed.
The renovations are set to bring new classrooms, an art gallery, and a new patio with a playground.
This as new housing is being built in the surrounding areas to replace the aging public housing units.
Architect Reginald Ruff said, “The whole area is being redeveloped with new housing and new support facilities, and bringing new services. It just means a lot for the community.”
The new Head Start seats are a resource that were previously not concentrated in the Westside.
Ruff said, “There was a Head Start facility up in the old 5th District Building and there were some weather problems and the roof got damaged so the kids got dispersed. There’s always a lot of kids in this community and so that Head Start in a modern facility with modern utilities and everything, it would just help the kids be able to enhance their learning.”
Even with concerns over federal funding impacting the overall multi tier vision, it has not affected this specific project.
Ruff said, “The design was previously funded. So on this phase, the funding is pretty much in place to complete this phase.”
With Head Start to move in by February, it is just the first in a series of transformations for the Westside.
Ruff said, “In the Campus Hub, the next phase is a recreation facility that’s going to attach to this building to the north and then there’s a park up there that’s going to be done and wrapping around that is housing. That first phase of housing is under construction right now.”
This project will be done by the end of October.
