The City of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Department has announced the opening of Lupton Mills Meadow at the former site of Lupton Mills in the community of Lupton City.
The park currently features 12 acres of meadows with short walking trails, abundant native plants and wildlife viewing.
“Lupton residents have been advocating for a complete restoration of the former mill site after years of unsightly landscaping, dust and weed overgrowth,” said Jenny Hill, City Councillor for District 2. “Now there is a public meadow where residents can relax and create wonderful memories, and I am honoured to be a small part of this transformation.”
After ceasing operations as a textile mill in 2009, the site faced demolition and environmental remediation. Following a notice of violation, the site entered Tennessee’s Voluntary Observation Assistance Program (VOAP) in 2015, and asbestos was partially removed. Despite the cleanup efforts, the site remained in a hazardous condition.
In 2019, the City of Chattanooga acquired the property and continued cleanup efforts in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation, including addressing friable and non-friable asbestos, constructing areas of asbestos-containing material, and covering the site with geotextile fabric and topsoil fill.
“Extensive geotechnical and environmental studies were conducted to ensure the City of Lupton site is suitable for future use as a recreational area,” said Elizabeth Goss, engineering coordinator for the Public Works Department. “The Public Works Department worked closely with environmental consultants, S&ME and TDEC to develop a plan to ensure public safety and limit pathways of exposure to contamination where it is present. Approximately 50,000 cubic yards of soil was brought in from various City sites to cover the site, ensuring all areas throughout the site have a minimum of two feet of cover.”
The site is safe and is currently being restored to a unique, evolving natural green space with a diverse mix of mostly native plants, beginning in May 2023 with additional seeding in spring 2024. This innovative landscape restoration approach by Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors uses native warm-season grasses, perennials and annuals to stabilize soil, reduce water runoff and provide wildlife habitat.
These efforts also improve the biological health and diversity of the soil. As the grasslands become established, new species begin to colonize the area, including many migratory bird species that migrate through the region each year and depend on the native wildflowers.
“This is an incredibly unique project that welcomes visitors to a site that continues to evolve and grow,” said Scott Martin, director of the Department of Parks and Outdoor Management. “Residents will be part of a dynamic and changing site for years to come, as local plants and ecosystems take the lead in healing, restoring and transforming this former industrial site into a beautiful natural asset for both wildlife and people.”
Lupton Mills Meadow features 0.3 miles of mowed trails for walking and wildlife/plant viewing, a small parking area, and educational signage. The City of Chattanooga will continue to support the further establishment and growth of the Meadow while working with the community to shape the site’s potential future public use.
This event marks the first of many upcoming environmental improvements to be made at the site, and over the coming months, the name Lupton Mills Meadow will also be improved with a permanent name to be informed by the City of Lupton community.
