Request for Information & Interest

On behalf of our Board of Directors, River City Company is issuing this Request for Information and Interest (RFI) to better understand the market and concepts for the redevelopment of Hawk Hill and adjacent parking lots located in downtown Chattanooga’s Riverfront District. Through strategic design improvements and key developments, our goal is to establish a new, vibrant downtown neighborhood. We have no doubt this important and high-profile site in the heart of our city can achieve a new level of distinction and be an improved asset for our community.

RFI

View the full copy including additional information about the site, outline for proposals and deadlines.

Framework Plan

Review the entire framework plan created by Urban Design Associates. Content was based upon community feedback, topography and market analysis.

Market Analysis

In addition to the general downtown Strategic Market Analysis, RCLCO performed a deep dive into the Hawk Hill site.

Submit Questions.

All questions must be submitted via the adjacent form by 5pm eastern on March 7, 2025. Responses will be posted to the website below in the FAQ section and a full list of responses will be emailed to inquiry list by March 14, 2025. Depending on the quantity and timing of questions, responses may be posted earlier.

FAQs

  • A RFI is a document used by an organization to gather general information about a potential product, service, development, and capabilities. It often serves as the first step in a future procurement process, and it is a tool that can be used to assess market options before moving to a more detailed procurement process, such as a Request for Proposal (RFP).  A RFI is solely used to gather information and assess interest, and it does not result in a contractual relationship.

  • The River City Company Board of Directors and its Real Estate Committee believe that issuing a RFI will help complete information gaps and eliminate ambiguities; better determine which developers have adequate capacity and resources; and better understand the downtown Chattanooga marketplace. River City Company believes that by issuing a RFI first, it will better inform and create a clearer, more compelling future RFP.

  • February 21: RFI Opens

    March 7: Deadline for Questions

    March 14: Responses Posted for Questions

    March 21: RFI Submissions Due

    Summer 2025: Anticipated release of RFP

  • In 1994, River City Company purchased the former Kirkman High School campus to facilitate downtown redevelopment. Since then, the organization has invested millions of dollars in the site, including the acquisition, demolition, and environmental remediation costs. In 1999, to help incentive and facilitate the development of the baseball stadium, River City Company transferred the land to the Sports Authority of the City of Chattanooga. The Land Transfer Ownership Agreement includes a Reversion Clause that states should the baseball team ever cease operations or relocate, River City Company retains the right to repurchase the property and ownership reverts back. That right was first established in 1999, and it was reaffirmed in 2014 when the original owner sold the baseball club and transferred ownership to the current owner.

Answers to Submitted Questions

  • River City Company will take all constraints (market, physical, etc.) into consideration, and we fully understand that the vision presented will likely evolve.  We are certainly open to other ideas that still address the needs and desires of Chattanoogan’s, while also being market-driven and financially viable.  Additionally, we’re under no time pressure for delivery, with handover of Hawk Hill not occurring until 2026, appreciating market and financial conditions are constantly changing. If your vision of the site is drastically different than the guidance provided, we’d certainly like you to address this and back-up your reasoning in the RFI submission.  Any changes or deviations should adhere to and include the Guiding Principles that were established during the community planning process.

  • a.     It is unlikely we will contribute any financial capital but fully expect to contribute the land in a joint-venture partnership, this being one option for the financial arrangement with a developer(s).  While we have not specifically discussed development fees, we have not required those in past JV partnerships if land is our only contribution.  To that end, River City has been a partner with private developers over the last 20 years in undertaking re/developments across downtown Chattanooga. The need to charge a fee could change if we are requested or required to play a different or more significant role in the project.  Regardless of how the land basis is provided as part of the development, we expect to structure financial and governance arrangements commensurate with our investment and involvement.

  • No pre-arrangements or discussion have taken place regarding this, and it would be the responsibility of the developer to propose and negotiate any public or private financing tools necessary or desired to make the project viable.  If River City Company is a partner in the development, we may be able to provide guidance and assistance through the process (including benefitting from our non-profit status), but to be determined.  TIF and residential PILOT are two types of incentives that are mentioned in the RFI (and have been granted by the city in other instances).  The city has made radical changes over the last 12 months to its zoning code in order to accelerate and encourage growth in affordable housing and we’d expect to assist any developer to access and use these and other tools.  Additionally, CARTA, our local transit authority, may be able to assist with more robust tools, incentives, and state or federal programs for publicly available multi-modal infrastructure and parking deck(s).

  • No.  There is a current survey for the two Riverfront Parkway Block Parcels that will be available through the RFP process later this summer.

  • We are open to higher residential density.

  • Chattanooga State Community College offers a Culinary Arts Concentration in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Associate of Applied Science program. The Howard High School is Hamilton County’s Future Ready Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management that has a culinary arts pathway.  There are also two privately run incubators for restaurateurs, Launch Chattanooga and Proof Incubator, but not for individuals seeking culinary education.

  • While we are open to varying mixes of the program and uses, the RCLCO Market Study shows that the site may not support an additional hotel due to current market conditions and the existing number of hotel rooms in the district.  If proposing a second hotel, please provide support for this idea.

  • It is a priority of River City Company to ensure there is still adequate public parking incorporated into the plan, but there is not a specific target number.

  • Yes.  Form Based Code requires parking for residential units and the city allows parking reductions based on specific criteria.

  • Yes.  Please refer to the Chattanooga Form Based Code for both height and story requirements by zone.  Minor and Major Modifications to the Code are allowed through the City’s formal process.

  • We are not aware of this, but it should be addressed through the City Form Based Code and staff.

  • There is not a predetermined goal, and we are looking to the development community to help us determine what is possible while still aligning with our vision and mission. RCC has not focused on a receiving a development fee as part of the project. The expectation is that RCC will be contributing land to the redevelopment and, as such, its participation in the joint venture ownership will benefit from this contribution.

  • No.  We believe food and beverage will benefit the residents and visitors. There is supporting data that indicates the demand is far greater than the supply in the district.

  • Please refer to the website links provided in the RFI for various programs including the Affordable Housing PILOT Program, Voluntary Incentives Program, Invest Chattanooga, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for additional information.  We do not administer any of these programs, and it would be the responsibility of the developer to determine applicability.

  • Yes.  All of the sites are in the Opportunity Zone.

  • Please refer to the website links provided in the RFI for various programs including the Affordable Housing PILOT Program, Voluntary Incentives Program, Invest Chattanooga, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for additional information.  We do not administer any of these programs, and it would be the responsibility of the developer to determine applicability.

  • It is one of the three documents (RFI, Framework Plan, Market Analysis) provided through the www.hawkhillcha.com website once you have provided contact information to access.

  • It is owned by the Chattanooga Downtown Redevelopment Corporation (CDRC), an arm of the City of Chattanooga and controlled by a Board of Directors.  The Board is aware of and has approved the inclusion of the parcel in this RFI. Additional information can be shared if specific questions are asked.

  • Please refer to the website link listed in the RFI for additional information.  This development is outside of River City Company’s scope and boundary and is listed for informational purposes only.