History

Once an icon of Chattanooga’s manufacturing might, the Standard Coosa Mill and the Watkins Street community—just three miles from Chattanooga’s celebrated city center—had become a case study in urban blight. With an absence of public and private investment, limited access to community-supporting infrastructure, and quality education, the neighborhood was light years behind the “Gig City” technology-focused entrepreneurship just down the street. The neglect casts a long shadow over the 37404 zip code, and the economic impact is evident.
The future of Mill Town is bright, and the future is here!

Vision

Building a Better Way

We’re thinking long term — about social equity and the power of density in chattanooga’s urban core. At Mill Town we’re building a community that’s socially minded and environmentally responsible.

We’ve done this before. In 2014, Collier Construction launched the first successful residential brownfield redevelopment in Tennessee state history. The 100 at South Broad development occupies the land once inhabited by the Sholze Tannery. When first proposed to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), TDEC simply responded “residential development in a brownfield... can not be done.” Four years later, and what could “not be done” is now a model for urban residential redevelopment.

Collier’s record of high-density development, combined with this unique public/private partnership proves that sustainable communities can grow on land that could not otherwise be developed.

Mill Town is a paradigm-shifting development that effectively addresses environmental issues, and provides an urban infill model already tested in multiple Collier communities. Perhaps most significantly, the Mill Town concept has been thoughtfully designed to provide opportunities for a variety of income levels to live in a dynamic community.  

The subsequent tax increase generated by the 600 market-rate units and redevelopment of the decaying Standard Coosa Thatcher Mill building will generate over $1,200,000 annually property tax revenues—supporting schools and infrastructure throughout the city.