Northgate Mall's Redevelopment Starts With the Pipes, Not the Bulldozers

The first Northgate Mall project with money behind it is a sewer replacement. No demolition date has been set, and CBL Properties hasn't committed to a master plan. The only work on a timeline is the aging infrastructure under the mall, and its owner says that work is expected to start sometime in the next two years.

That means the Northgate Hixson knows today is the one it will most likely have through 2027. You can still see a movie at AMC Northgate 14, buy yarn at Chattanooga Yarn Co. and park at the BJ's end. The way this redevelopment is being paid for also explains why the next few years at the mall matter more than they seem to.

The money pays for infrastructure, and it gets repaid from growth

On Dec. 2, 2025, the Chattanooga City Council approved a $15.2 million tax increment financing plan for Northgate, according to Local 3 News. After an outside review, the council cut the construction-funding part from $9.2 million to $8.7 million.

Here is how it works. CBL pays for the infrastructure up front. It gets paid back from future increases in the property and sales taxes the mall produces. The taxes Northgate generates now keep going to the city and county. The Chattanoogan described the deal as funding the replacement of Northgate's aging infrastructure.

So the deal is a bet that Northgate will bring in more tax than it does now. The pipes come first because everything planned above them depends on them. In July, WDEF reported that the sewer replacement comes before CBL's plan to tear down most of the mall's interior.

Where the process stands as of October 2026

Here is the order of events so far, from the reporting:

1. Dec. 2, 2025: City Council approves the $15.2 million TIF.
2. July 15, 2026: At a Friends of Hixson meeting, residents tell CBL what they'd like to see. Developers say the main requests are more retail and entertainment, park space and easier access to businesses.
3. Aug. 29, 2026: The third and last public input meeting is held. Next comes a report for the industrial development board built from all three meetings.
4. Within roughly two years of that meeting: The utility project is expected to start, according to CBL.
5. Around 2028: CBL's Jon Meshel told WDEF he expects redevelopment work to begin.

The 2028 date is an estimate. After the final meeting in August, Meshel told NewsChannel 9, "No timeline on the master plan, but we are working with the city on the utility project and expect that project to start in the next 2 years." He also described CBL's position on the overall design this way: "We're not proposing anything, and we're not not proposing anything."

What is expected to stay standing

CBL has talked about a town center similar to Cambridge Square in Ooltewah, a place to shop, spend time and gather in shared outdoor space. Even without a final plan, the buildings expected to stay already outline what that town center would be built around. According to WDEF:

These buildings mostly sit around the edges of the property, and most have their own outside entrances. The enclosed corridor between them is what CBL plans to replace. The question for the next few years is how much of the mall's character lives in that corridor.

The mall in the meantime

Northgate's official directory covers a lot more than the anchor stores. The larger shops include T.J. Maxx, Ross, Michaels, Bath & Body Works, Zales, Shoe Dept. Encore, Finish Line, Hibbett Sports and Hot Topic. Local and specialty businesses are listed too: Chattanooga Yarn Co., Oriental Rug Gallery, For the Record, Funkey Munkey Market and Epikos Comics and Games.

The directory also lists services you wouldn't expect at a mall, including Siskin Outpatient Therapy, Haman's Driving School, Infinity Dance Connection, Beauty Xpress, Salons by JC and Colony 13. For a night out, AMC Northgate 14 is still on the list. Restaurants include Aubrey's, Chili's, Culver's, Logan's Roadhouse, Miller's Ale House, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, Outback Steakhouse, Panera Bread, Panda Express, Salsarita's and Arby's.

The directory isn't dated, and it doesn't separate stores inside the mall from businesses in their own buildings on the property. It's best read as the mall's own roster, not a guarantee that every business on it is open today.

Posted mall hours are noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The mall notes that stores with their own outside doors may keep different hours. That matters if you're heading to the anchors early or late.

What is arriving while the plan is pending

New businesses are still signing on at Northgate even though the redevelopment is coming:

• Tulum Modern Mexican Cuisine, 248 Northgate Mall Drive, made 6AM City's list of October openings, published Oct. 7. The restaurant's website says it's open daily for lunch and dinner. No exact opening day has been reported, so it's worth checking before you go.
• Nails by Yuli, 255 Northgate Mall, shows up in Hamilton County's new business license lists from early October. A license is a filing and doesn't confirm the salon is open yet.
• Chick-fil-A is moving to a new 6,008-square-foot building on 1.74 acres at 5979 Highway 153, replacing the Oak Park Town Center location. The Chattanoogan reported in July that it was under construction, with rent set to start in September. No opening date has been confirmed.

Not far away, the same license roundup from the Times Free Press lists Yoyorolls at 7528 Florence Drive in Hixson, with no opening details.

The calendar between now and Thanksgiving

Northgate's events calendar has two events in November. A few blocks away, Hixson Center has city-run events in late October.

The Hixson Center events come from the City of Chattanooga's fall events announcement, dated Sept. 30. As of mid-October, Northgate's calendar doesn't list a Santa visit or holiday market. Those listings may still be added.

The next documented step in the redevelopment is the industrial development board's report from the three public meetings. After that comes the utility project, which CBL expects to start within two years of the August meeting. Until then, the stores, theater and restaurants in the directory make up the Northgate that Hixson has, with consignment season and the November meat truck sale coming up next.

If you own a home near Northgate and want to know whether talk about the redevelopment is showing up in local home values yet, Marcus Holt Homes can walk you through what nearby sales show and what they don't. Request a free home valuation and get a calm, clear read on where your home stands before the first utility crews arrive.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.