Dana Chadwell opened the Chattanooga Yarn Company at Northgate Mall three years ago and remembers growing up at the mall. Now, she could be part of its future, after the Chattanooga City Council voted to continue discussions about a $15 million revitalization project.

The proposal would create a special tax district, known as Tax Increment Financing (TIF), to fund upgrades to the property's aging sewer lines. This would freeze taxes at their current level for owner CBL Properties and use newly generated sales and property tax revenue to pay off the project's costs. CBL told council members the upgrades are desperately needed to prevent further decline.

Chadwell believes renovations are necessary, but questions what other development could follow.

"There’s no question that this system ha

See Full Page