The City of Chickamauga has been awarded a $40,000 grant through the Georgia Rural Center to fund a professional redevelopment planning study for the former Crystal Springs Mill site and other city-owned properties in downtown Chickamauga.
The grant will support a comprehensive planning effort led by Georgia Conservancy in partnership with the Center for Rural Prosperity and Arnett Muldrow. The study will include a detailed market analysis, extensive community engagement, and the development of a long-term land use vision and conceptual redevelopment plans for the historic 139-acre property.
City officials say the planning process is another important step in the ongoing effort to transform the former mill site and surrounding downtown properties into a catalyst for economic growth and community development.
The new planning grant builds on momentum created earlier this year when Chickamauga received $1.45 million in federal funding to begin remediation work at the site. That funding will be used to clean up the long-abandoned property, move electric lines underground, and address blighted conditions that have existed for years.
In addition, the city has applied for another $4 million in federal EPA Brownfields funding to help complete environmental remediation efforts needed to prepare the property for future redevelopment opportunities.
Officials say the combination of planning resources and cleanup funding will help ensure redevelopment efforts are guided by realistic market conditions and community priorities while preserving the site’s historic significance.
Community participation will play a central role in the planning process. Public meetings and a community survey are expected to be announced soon, giving residents an opportunity to share their ideas, concerns, and vision for the future of the property.
City leaders say they are excited to begin this next phase of redevelopment planning and look forward to working with residents to shape the future of one of Chickamauga’s most significant downtown assets.