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Historic Patten Parkway Buildings Threatened with Demolition

UPDATE - Today the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission deferred Evelyn Capital’s request to rezone 19 Patten Parkway from a 6-story maximum height to a 12-story maximum height. Regional Planning Agency staff recommended that the zoning be restricted to 10-stories and that a parking study be required. The current plan for a 12-story mixed-use tower does not have parking on-site. The vote to defer allows time for a parking study to be completed before the next Regional Planning Commission meeting on January 12, 2026.

Preserve Chattanooga thanks everyone who attended the meeting at 1 pm today. The standing room only crowd was a strong statement on how important preserving our historic places is to so many people in Chattanooga. While this case focused on a rezoning request, it opens the door to a broader conversation. Zoning, comprehensive plans, and any formal documents guiding this city’s growth must acknowledge our federally designated historic places. The State of Tennessee and the National Park Service have determined that these sites are architecturally and historically significant to Chattanooga. It is up to this community to determine what happens next.

Background:

Nashville-based developers, Evelyn Capital, are requesting the rezoning of 19 Patten Parkway (pictured above). The historic block in downtown Chattanooga has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1980. The rezoning request would allow a new 12-story mixed-use structure. Current zoning has a maximum 6-story height restriction. Preserve Chattanooga opposes this rezoning request which threatens to destroy a contributing property to the Market Square/Patten Parkway National Register District.

What you can do to help advocate for this historic place:

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Thank you, CityScope Magazine, for the beautiful feature article about preservation in the 2026 Winter Edition.

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Did you see us in the news?

  • As a new project as part of its 50th anniversary year, the non-profit historic preservation group, Preserve Chattanooga, presented several awards to area residents on Thursday for work in preserving or restoring historic properties. Chattanooga Bank Building, Second Presbyterian and Park Hotel are among the award winners.

    Read the full article here.

  • Preserve Chattanooga, the city's historical preservation nonprofit, hosted awards to honor projects and people working to save and promote Scenic City history.

    The ceremony Thursday night at the Read House, hosted in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Interior Architecture and Design program, featured physical awards that were pieces of saved Chattanooga history.

    Read the full article here.

  • Beyond the mountains, river and trees that identify Chattanooga as an outdoor destination, the city's architectural features also contribute to its signature look. Along its grid of streets rise some of the region's most notable structures -- the Tennessee Aquarium's towering peaks, the Chattanooga Choo Choo's grand dome, the neoclassical grandeur of Memorial Auditorium.

    Read the full article here.

  • A television screen above Todd Morgan's head flashed with images of Chattanooga buildings past and present, each one labeled "LOST," THREATENED" or "PROTECTED."

    Now is a critical time for preservation, Morgan, executive director of Preserve Chattanooga, told a group of around 90 people gathered Thursday morning in the basement of Second Presbyterian Church.

    Read the full article here.

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