Community Leaders traveled to Chattanooga, TN on July 7 & 8, 2009 to visit with representatives from RiverCity Partners as well as city and county officials. Mayor Tommy Battle, Mayor Paul Finley and Chairman Mike Gillespie traveled with the group of 116 leaders for the two day program.

The Community leaders heard remarks form RiverCity Partners representatives, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, and Hamilton County Chairman, Jim Coppinger regarding the ongoing master planning and economic development mission led by RiverCity Partners. The leaders participated in a 'windshield tour' of the downtown area to see retail development, downtown loft apartments, a Downtown Market and the Arts and Entertainment District. In addition to the parks, the Riverwalk and numerous examples of public art were observed.

The two day visit concluded with a debrief caucus with all participants discussing the events of the two day trip and establishing a roadmap and action plan for implementation upon returning home.

Sponsors for the trip included:

• Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville / Madison County
• Committee of 100
• The Downtown Forty-Seven
• Historic Huntsville Foundation
• Huntsville / Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Madison Chamber of Commerce
• Tennessee Valley Authority
• Woody Anderson Ford

The Community Leaders met on August 25, 2009 to start the planning process in a Downtown Revitalization Action Planning Meeting at the VBC. The program included the following presentations:

Next Steps

Community leaders select the discussion group they wish to participate in during the next several weeks and:

• Meet as a group to discuss the charter for the group
• Decide what the key issues are and how the group will address them
• Do as much research as possible including, interviewing subject matter experts, practices in other cities who have done work in the area of interest
• Invite professional staff to join the action team groups as advisors and serve as an information resource to the group
• Identify projects that can be initiated in the next 90 days after the group convenes as well as longer term projects
• Prepare a 10 minute presentation on what the group has learned and prepare a draft of the recommendations

Next meeting of all Community Leaders to hear action teams presentations

TBE (Mid October)

Links

• City hopes to learn from Chattanooga
• City leaders hope to bring home fun
• Turning dreams into reality
• What if ...? Ideas for downtown 'a great start'