The big news: Chattanooga's Montague Park is set to be reimagined.

The Chattanooga Design Studio + the city's Department of Parks & Outdoor Recreation (along with other community stakeholders) are partnering for an urban design and landscape planning process for this 100-year-old civic space — one that's held quite a few roles in its time.

Thus far, the park has served as a:

Construction landfill
Recreational space
Brownfield (after the park was shut down in 2003 due to environmental concerns)
Sculpture park (which still stands)

The goal: Re-imagining Montague Park’s role as a 21st century park and creating a comprehensive plan for its revitalization.

The timeline: The design process is set to begin in early 2023, and will be structured to gather input from residents in surrounding neighborhoods and primary user groups.

(Some of) what to expect: One of the primary goals of the revitalization is to prepare a vision for integrated uses of Sculpture Fields and the Chattanooga FC Foundation (both of which are current leaseholders at the park), along with the Main Street Farmers Market.

The announcement: Community representatives + park stakeholders announced the selection of a nationally renowned landscape architecture firm to create a vision for the park — Reed-Hilderbrand.

The firm is known for work on the Buffalo Bayou Gardens in Houston + the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art, among other parks and green spaces.

The big picture: “We believe Montague Park is well positioned to be a world-class example of inclusive, beautiful civic space that will enhance experiences and enrich residents and visitors equally.” — Tom Bartoo, board member of Sculpture Fields at Montague Park