This article was originally published on wdef.com.
EAST RIDGE, Tennessee (WDEF) – The new city manager in East Ridge explains how local government is moving ahead with the biggest project in their history.
Bill Mitchell has the story.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves SC will start building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium in East Ridge in the near future. It would include a mixed-use development with living, working and entertaining opportunities
B0B MARTINO, Chattanooga Red Wolves Owner “It’s a mixed use project development here in East Ridge that will include our professional soccer stadium and give the players and coach a home that they can enjoy and spend time at on and off the field.”
MAYOR BRIAN WILLIAMS “Well, it’s gonna be..it’s the largest development that we’ve had in the history of East Ridge. It’s a..it’s a major complex..it’s going to enhance more restaurants, going to have more shops, going to have the sports complex that will have 20 home-games that the Red Wolves will be playing there.”
It’s a 125-million dollar investment for that community. New city manager Chris Dorsey, who’s been on the job for less than 2 weeks says the State of Tennessee provided the key to the project.
He says the Border Region act, passed by the General assembly in 2012, gives cities like East Ridge on the state line the ability to keep some of its sales tax revenue from new economic development. It’s a break for tax payers.
CHRIS DORSEY, EAST RIDGE CITY MGR. “After that baseline, when these developments come in..it raises the sales tax dollars that are brought into our state…those extra sales tax dollars are what are being used to help.”
Mayor Williams calls it a companion project to Camp Jordan.
MAYOR BRIAN WILLIAMS “..we are across the interstate…and toward the center of town…which we want to do that. We want progress to flow to the west side as well. We are strongly trying to encourage that.”
CHRIS DORSEY “None of that money is coming out of tax payers’ pockets…it’s all newly realized revenue that we’re able to get.”
In Chattanooga, Bill Mitchell, News 12 Now.