The City of Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors Department has opened Lupton Mills Meadow, a new urban conservation park, on the former site of Lupton Mills.
The 12 acres of pastureland feature walking trails where wildlife is abundant.
“Today’s opening is a decade in the making,” said District 2 City Councillor Jenny Hill. “Lupton residents have advocated for a complete restoration of the former mill site after years of eyesore, dust and weed overgrowth. Now there is a public pasture where residents can relax and create wonderful memories. I am honoured to have been a small part of this transformation.”
Operations at this former textile mill were suspended in 2009. In 2015, the site was placed under Tennessee’s Voluntary Oversight Assistance Program, which partially removed the asbestos. The site remained in a hazardous condition. In 2019, the City of Chattanooga acquired the property, addressed the asbestos, and covered the site with geotextile fabric and topsoil.
The Department of Parks and Outdoors said:
“The site is safe and is now being restored to a unique, evolving natural green space with a diverse mix of mostly native plants, which will begin planting in May 2023, with additional seeding in spring 2024. This innovative landscape restoration approach by Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors uses native warm-season grasses, perennials and annuals to stabilize soil, reduce water runoff and provide wildlife habitat.”
