The Uptown Innovation Corridor continues to be viewed as a national model in developing specialized urban districts. This month, a delegation from Chattanooga, TN visited Uptown to meet with Uptown Consortium, Inc. (UCI) and its partners to learn about planning and development efforts in the Corridor. The 28-person group consisted of city and county leadership and healthcare and university executives interested in applying learnings from Uptown to the development of Chattanooga’s planned Health & Wellness District.
“As we continue through our initial planning and development efforts, it’s exciting to see what’s happening in the Uptown Innovation Corridor to leverage existing assets and ensure the creation of an inclusive, holistic and innovative environment,” said Jim Williamson, Vice President of Planning & Development, River City Company.
During their visit, guests toured Uptown, including the Corridor at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Reading Road and the 1819 Innovation Hub. They also heard several presentations from UCI and its partners. Beth Robinson, UCI’s President & CEO, provided an overview of the Corridor and UCI’s planning efforts, followed by presentations from WEB Ventures and Terrex Development & Construction about economic inclusion efforts in the Corridor and a panel discussion with representatives from UC Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UCI on healthcare systems and community partnerships.
The Chattanooga delegation’s visit is the second event in the past few months where leadership from organizations across the country came to Uptown to learn about UCI’s institutional and community partnerships, economic development efforts, and plans for the Corridor. In September, UCI also hosted the eighth annual Anchor District Forum with more than 35 guests from peer anchor districts throughout the U.S.
“These events demonstrate that our work in Uptown is truly a national best practice in developing successful innovation districts,” said Robinson. “For years we traveled across the country visiting existing innovation districts, so we’re happy to provide that same opportunity for our peers in other cities.”
Progress in the Corridor continues to move forward, with more milestones planned for 2020. As the developments progress, UCI expects the Corridor to continue gaining regional and national attention as a rising innovation district.
For more information about the Corridor, visit www.uptowninnovationcorridor.com.