Chattanooga's business openings, expansions and big plans for November

Dec. 7—In November, plans were announced for a new hospital in North Georgia, another marina on the downtown riverfront, a logistics company headquarters downtown and a medical testing business at the Bend. During the month, the long-awaited Publix grocery store on South Broad Street and a second Urgent Care for Children clinic in East Brainerd both opened while a prison recovery program and medical testing business both announced expansions in Chattanooga

Openings

After years of planning and revisions, Publix opened a 32,500-square-foot store grocery store on South Broad Street as part of a new shopping center built on the site of the former Mt. Vernon restaurant.

Six18 Restaurant & Lounge opened on Georgia Avenue across from the Hamilton County courthouse in the former Jefferson's restaurant site with Southern-inspired brunch, lunch, dinner and late-night fare including sandwiches, salads, high-quality meats, seafood and fresh vegetables. The menu includes items like catfish and grits, crawfish pimento cheese and fried chicken.

Project Return, a nonprofit group founded in 1979 in Nashville to help limit prisoners as they are released from jail, has expanded its anti-recidivism program to Chattanooga and is offering everything from food, identification cards and transportation to job placement and career assistance for those being released from jail to find jobs and adjust back into life outside of prison.

Urgent Care for Children, which opened its first local outlet in Hixson in March, added another local outlet in East Brainerd with another after-hours pediatric clinic at 2122 Gunbarrel Road.

Expansions

Developers of the Bend on the former Alstom Power site on Chattanooga's Westside are planning a 240-slip boat marina on the Tennessee River along with a rerouted riverwalk to enhance the riverfront portion of their overall redevelopment project.

Announced developments

CHI Memorial Hospital told state regulators it will seek permission to build a replacement hospital along Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold, to be known as CHI Memorial Hospital Georgia, by 2024.

Athena Esoterix, a coronavirus testing company started at Baylor School by Dr. Elizabeth Forrester and Dr. Dawn Richards, announced plans to open its own testing lab at the Riverfront Medical Center in the Bend by next spring.

McAlister's Deli began converting the former Panera Bread restaurant near Northgate Mall into a new sandwich shop with a drive-through window. The deli is scheduled to open next year.

The former TVA motor pool building at 412 E. 10th Street is being renovated for a logistics company to open its corporate headquarters with about 60 employees.

Development group Lodge of Chattanooga is proposing an apartment complex where a Budgetel extended stay hotel is located in East Ridge. To be known as Vivo Living, the 30-unit apartment complex will be built from the renovation of the 60-room Budgetel.

Scooter's Coffee is building its third Hamilton County drive-through kiosk at 9395 Apison Pike in Ooltewah. Scooter's already has similar units on Shallowford Road in East Brainerd and on Highway 58 in Harrison and eventually plans to have 10 to 15 such kiosks in the Chattanooga area.

Contact Dave Flessner at 423-757-6340 or dflessner@timesfreepress.com.

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