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Commission adopts Chattanooga State master plan calling for Omni Building replacement
Summary
The State Building Commission on voice votes approved Chattanooga State Community College’s campus master plan, including a recommendation to demolish the aging Omni Building and build a new gateway academic building to improve accessibility, pedestrian connections and student spaces.
The State Building Commission voted to adopt the master plan for Chattanooga State Community College after a presentation by consultant Kristen Osterby of DLR Group and remarks from Executive Director Tracy.
Osterby said the plan recommends ‘‘the demolition of the existing Omni Building’’ and replacement with a smaller, transformative gateway building that would showcase learning and student success, improve accessibility and create a riverfront plaza and event lawn. She told commissioners the campus has sufficient overall square footage for projected enrollment but has ‘‘deficits in quality’’ and accessibility problems in several older facilities.
Commissioner (speaker 6) asked why demolition was preferred to renovation, noting the building’s age. Osterby and others said the Omni’s low floor‑to‑floor heights, sprawling plan and aging mechanical systems make renovation impractical; one speaker estimated the building dates to the mid‑1960s. The commission adopted the plan by voice vote with no roll‑call tally recorded in the transcript.
The plan also includes targeted renovations to nearby buildings, improved pedestrian circulation and vehicular changes such as roundabouts and a campus loop road to improve safety. Executive Director Tracy and college leaders were noted as available to answer further questions as project planning proceeds.
