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Virginia Anne Sharber Email
Executive Director . Hunter Museum of American Art
Chattanooga, TN
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We made improved air service a priority. Because of the work of our Airport Authority, at a time when air service was being cut across the country, Chattanooga was able to add direct service to our city's number one travel destination, New York City. We are using our community's Renewal Community Designation to attract new investment to our downtown and reward employers for hiring citizens who live in the RC zone. The Community Education Alliance has implemented a highly innovative program, causing 27 high performing teachers to be recruited and retained in our high priority schools, driving up educational achievement. Our community is making great strides, but one of the most exciting projects which we are pursuing is the full implementation of the 21st Century Waterfront Plan. Beginning in the early 1990's, our community experienced a transformation as the Tennessee Aquarium was completed and incredible reinvestment in our downtown occurred. Each success built our self-esteem, and our citizens soon realized that there were no limits to what could be accomplished through hard work and a common vision. We have achieved much since those days, but there was always a sense that we had never fully connected back to the river, the birthplace of our city. The obstacle was Riverfront Parkway, a highway separating the downtown from the river, making pedestrian crossing dangerous. During the summer of 2001, we lobbied TDOT to work with us in making the Parkway more condusive to an urban use, but because of strict policies every suggestion we offered was vetoed. Finally, we asked TDOT to give the road to us, solving this decades old problem. By October 2001, then Governor Don Sundquist gave the road back to our citizens, allowing us to begin completing our return to the river. Simultaneously, we evaluated Ross's Landing and concluded this important historical site was just hot pavement collecting litter. Despite the acclaim our city had received nationally for our revitalized waterfront, we still had work to do. In February 2002, we convened a community meeting to begin the process of dreaming what our waterfront should be. In all, 300 people from all walks of life attended that meeting and offered tremendous input, including suggestions I had never heard. On May 13, 2002, our architect, Hargreaves and Associates came back to us with the Waterfront Plan, which included major expansions of the Tennessee Aquarium, the Hunter Museum, and the Creative Discovery Museum, all non-profits. The plan combined these developments with public improvements to Ross's Landing, an expansion of Coolidge Park and connecting the Bluff View Arts District to the downtown via First Street. Obviously it was a great plan, but funding it required a $120 million investment. Nine days later, in our first State of the City address, with only a concept in place and no money committed to the project, we announced that we were going to implement the entire plan, and that it would be finished by May 1, 2005. It was a bold vision, and only in our community could such a challenge be met. The past year has been truly remarkable as our citizens have rallied around this plan. We introduced a bill during last year's general assembly which allowed us to pass a hotel/motel tax, so that those who visited our community paid for the public sector portion of these improvements. Last summer, the City Council approved the tax creating $56 million for the Plan. Then, in October, we worked with volunteers and in 90 days conducted 73 fundraising meetings putting in place $47 million from the private sector. Today, we are less than $4 million from reaching our goal of implementing the Waterfront Plan-all at no cost to our local taxpayers. Soon our citizens will enjoy the $30 million saltwater Aquarium addition, or the $19.5 million Hunter addition. Major portions of the improved Creative Discovery Museum are already complete, and many more enhancements are planned. Along Ross's Landing from the Marina to the Walnut Street Bridge, visitors will stroll along the riverfront on a hard-edged surface which will also allow boaters to dock. The Landing will be converted from "hot pavement" to a beautifully landscaped park with natural amphitheaters. A pier will stretch into the river with kiosks for vendors throughout. Premier housing constructed by the private sector along a reopened First Street will complete the connection from the city to the Hunter. On the North Side of the river, citizens will enjoy 24 acres of land adjacent to the Market Street Bridge where a Wetland Park will be developed as well as an extension of the Coolidge Park experience. Building pads set aside for private development could generate an additional $50-80 million in the downtown. And there is no doubt that future ripple effects will cause very significant investment outside of the Waterfront boundaries. Many have worked hard to help us accomplish so much. Our community owes much to the leadership of the Hunter, the CDM, the Aquarium, RiverCity, our fundraising Steering Committee and the volunteers who have invested time and energy into helping make such great progress. The Waterfront example illustrates our community's vision and the way we get things done when working together for a common purpose. The same progress is occurring in the area of economic development, in our neighborhoods and in education. Over the next two years, we are committed to continuing the work of building a great city.Hunter Museum of American Art Address
10 Bluff ViewChattanooga, TN
United States