<BillNo> <Sponsor>
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 299
By Vital
HJR0299
003947
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A RESOLUTION to honor Preserve Chattanooga on the occasion
of its fiftieth anniversary.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly take great pleasure in recognizing a
civic organization that has worked diligently for fifty years to preserve Chattanooga's
architectural heritage through historic preservation, education, and advocacy; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga was founded as Landmarks Chattanooga in 1975
and was known for many years as Cornerstones; no matter the name, the organization is
committed to expanding its fifty-year legacy; and
WHEREAS, in its earliest days, the organization, through its board of directors, was
instrumental in saving the Walnut Street Bridge, a Chattanooga landmark; and
WHEREAS, today, Preserve Chattanooga provides strategic preservation leadership via
building acquisitions and transfers, structural assessment funding, stabilization grants, and
impactful partnerships with other agencies and foundations; and
WHEREAS, the Central Block Building, Passenger Freight Depot, Burchay Building,
Stong Building, Brown's Tavern, First Congregational Church, Tomorrow Building, Park Place
School, Engel Stadium, the Industrial YMCA, and many more historic edifices have benefited
from the nonprofit organization's efforts; and
WHEREAS, Terminal Station, The Dome Building, Customs House, and the Trigg-
Smartt Building (Tivoli Center) will remain architectural treasures for future generations due to
the protective facade easements Preserve Chattanooga has procured for these historic
buildings; and
WHEREAS, in addition to providing direct assistance to property owners,
neighborhoods, and developers, Preserve Chattanooga utilizes many other tools to promote
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preservation in the city, including educational programming, advocacy support, and its
Preservation Resource Center; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga is now partnering with the Lyndhurst Foundation and
the Regional Planning Agency to update the 1977 Chattanooga Preservation Plan, which will
include extensive input from the community and become a blueprint for the future; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga's grant partners have included the 1772 Foundation,
State of Tennessee, Tennessee Arts Commission, and Chattanooga Tourism Company over
the years; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga annually partners with the University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga's (UTC) Interior Architecture and Design program to offer a minor in Historic
Preservation; and
WHEREAS, the organization also assists with UTC senior thesis projects that provide
neglected historic Chattanooga buildings with adaptive reuse concepts, a partnership that has
reached more than 300 students since 2016; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga has collaborated with Chattanooga Tourism to make
available online self-guided architectural tours for Chattanooga neighborhoods, including the
Downtown Historic District, Southside, Stone Fort, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., District, and the
University/McCallie Avenue corridor; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga is a member of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, National Preservation Partners Network, Southeast Chapter of the Society of
Architectural Historians, and National Alliance of Preservation Commissions; and
WHEREAS, Preserve Chattanooga stays informed of preservation efforts through the
Tennessee Historical Commission at the State level and through the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation on the national level; and
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WHEREAS, for fifty years, Preserve Chattanooga has collaborated with organizations
throughout the Chattanooga community to broaden its mission to preserve the city's
architectural heritage, and this exemplary organization is worthy of our approbation on this
special occasion; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOU SE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and congratulate the leadership, staff, and volunteers of
Preserve Chattanooga on the occasion of the organization's fiftieth anniversary and thank them
for their ongoing commitment to historic preservation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.