First, the airport purchased two abandoned car lots located along Brainerd Road inside the airport's Runway Protection Zone that were a concern for the community. After collaborating with the city of Chattanooga, the airport decided to use the land to tackle the problems of flooding and stormwater in the area.
The project was meant to demonstrate how to handle stormwater runoff and prevent it from entering the city's sewer system using green infrastructure. The project improved the soil by adding nutrients, leveled the land to mimic natural water patterns in the area, created bio-retention areas to hold stormwater, and recreated a vegetation cover for the site. A time-lapse video of the entire demolition project can be seen at http://earthcam.net/projects/arcadis/.
This project brings numerous benefits to the Midtown / Brainerd Road community in Chattanooga. It will help mitigate their flooding issues and improve safety and environmental conditions at the site. The project will also be a model for future developments and improvements in the Chattanooga area. This project, as well as the entirety of the airport's sustainability program, received the 2013 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for sustainable performance, the 2014 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award, and the 2014 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for the Pursuit of Excellence.