Written by Zoie Denton

In the heart of downtown Chattanooga, TN, where brick and modern storefronts stand shoulder to shoulder, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul rises with a quiet glory. For more than a century, its twin spires and complex stonework have anchored East Eighth Street, drawing worshippers, visitors, and observers into a space defined by reverence and light. It is a church known not only for its architectural beauty, but for its roots in the civic and spiritual life of the city.

In December 2025, word reached Father David Carter, pastor and rector of the basilica, that a zoning change had been proposed for the property directly behind and beside the church. Initially, plans indicated that an existing three-story building on Lindsay Street would be replaced by a six-story structure. Development is not uncommon in a growing city, and at first, the proposal seemed manageable.

Suddenly, the plan changed, and the six-story concept became a 12-story apartment building.

“When we started doing our own investigation,” Father Carter recalled, “it started to raise some really legitimate concerns in our hearts and minds.”

Bathed each morning and afternoon in natural sunlight, the windows illuminate the sanctuary in a wash of jewel-toned brilliance. The basilica’s stained-glass windows, masterpieces designed by renowned artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, are among the church’s most treasured features. The east-side windows depict scenes from the life of St. Peter, while the opposing windows portray the life of St. Paul, the parish’s patron saints. 

During Mass, sunlight streams through the glass and spills across the altar, transforming ordinary moments into something breathtaking.

A 12-story building looming beside the basilica threatened to block that light entirely. The interplay of sun and stained glass was part of the church’s identity. To lose that light would mean altering the character of the space profoundly and irreversibly.

As worry grew, the community began to look beyond the windows. Structural questions emerged. A member of the church community, engineer Jim Poston, offered to take a deeper look. His findings intensified the concern.

Father Carter said, “[Postin] discovered that they would have to be driving pillars to a significant depth, which would cause a lot of vibrations and rattling,” Father Carter stated 

The basilica was built in the 1890s; heavy construction disturbances could be damaging to the structure. The possibility of cracks in the foundation or fractures in the Tiffany windows was alarming to the church.

By January 2025, the issue had moved to the public stage. Father Carter, Jim Postin, and roughly a dozen supporters attended a meeting of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. They were joined by representatives from Preserve Chattanooga, developers, the building’s former owner, and advocates for urban growth. The hearing room was full, going from sitting to standing-room-only. 

Their concerns caught the attention of Hamilton County’s mayor, Weston Womp, sparking a request for a tour of the church. Walking through the sanctuary, seeing the Tiffany windows illuminate the altar, he came to understand the concern. He later asked the commission to deny the rezoning request.

Following deliberation, the Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of the rezoning to the City Council, which held ultimate authority. It was a pivotal moment, but Father Carter believed confrontation alone was not the only solution.

He reached out directly to the developer, inviting him to meet.

“We want to show good faith that we’re not your enemy, and we don’t want you to be our enemy,” said Father Carter.

Around a table rather than a podium, the two sides spoke candidly.

“We were able to have honest, frank, open discussions that were fruitful,” Father Carter stated. “The dialogue was starting to have us envision together and dream about how we can benefit the whole community as well as their investors and the natural order of things.”

In a surprising move, the developers voluntarily withdrew their petition for the 12-story rezoning during that initial meeting. Relief swept through the basilica community. What had begun as a looming conflict shifted into a collaborative effort.

The church and the development team continue to discuss future plans, exploring possibilities that respect the basilica’s historic integrity while supporting thoughtful urban growth.

“An example of how history, culture, development, capital, planning, commissions, and regulations all work together,” he said. “It’s messy, but it’s part of what makes our society work as a representative democracy, as a place where the people’s will can be expressed. It’s not just people pushing their own ways and their own agendas, but it helps us to be good neighbors.”

For Father Carter, the experience became something much larger than a simple zoning dispute. Instead, he saw it as a reflection of how a community navigates competing interests and responsibilities

The Basilica of St. Peter and Paul still stands in downtown Chattanooga, its stained-glass windows prevail, transferring the Tennessee sun, casting warm rays of light that worshippers can enjoy in prayer. The community mobilization and effort to reach across the aisle has become a testament not only to preservation but to partnership.

“We’re very happy to have been a partner in this kind of civic process that is hopefully going to result in some very, very positive developments for the city of Chattanooga, for our own faith community, for these developers and their investors,” said Father Carter.

Today, the basilica continues to rise above East Eighth Street. Its twin spires still frame the skyline, and each morning the Tennessee sun still filters through the Tiffany windows, casting radiant color across the altar. What once threatened to overshadow the church has instead become part of its living history. Chattanooga remains a city where heritage, faith, and civic responsibility stand firmly together.

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Preservation or Progress

Written by Alexis Patterson

Chattanooga, Tennessee, a growing city, with new projects and developments filling every street. Modern buildings weave through the four residential historic districts, contemporary and historic buildings existing in tandem. The city officials use preservation policies to guide expansion while protecting these historic areas of Chattanooga.

Cassie Cline, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Chattanooga, works within that framework to review projects that affect historically designated properties. “The only buildings that have additional requirements are buildings that are either within a local historic district or are listed as a local historic landmark,” said Cline. 

Proposed changes to local historic districts or historic landmarks are reviewed by the Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission (CHZC), which regulates exterior design changes, renovations, and new construction within local historic districts.

The steps in place to preserve and protect Chattanooga’s most historic constructions can become a challenge in the face of modernity.

“We have pretty strict criteria for repairing and retaining historic windows, siding, and roof materials,” Cline explained.

These features play a major role in preserving a building’s historic appearance. Requests of changing exterior materials are among the most common the commission receives. Many of the pushback arise when homeowners want to modernize parts of their homes while still remaining within historic guidelines.

“We see challenges when folks want to upgrade, maybe their windows,” Cline said. “A lot of times, there’s new technology that comes out or folks want to change the appearance of their home.”

Because exterior elements define much of a structure’s historic character, proposals to replace or modify them are closely reviewed to determine whether the changes would compromise the building’s historic integrity.

Chattanooga’s continued growth also shapes how preservation decisions are approached. As new housing and development projects increase across the city, preservation planning often works alongside broader zoning and building regulations. 

“In our local historic districts, any demolition or new construction has to go through an approval process,” said  Cline. “Those procedural steps can slow a project down, or prevent something from happening.” 

Outside of locally designated districts, development typically follows standard permitting procedures rather than historic review. Because of this, preservation planners often emphasize the importance of identifying and protecting historic areas before development pressures increase.

Community members can also play a role in preservation conversations, particularly when development proposals affect historic neighborhoods. Residents may organize petitions, attend public meetings, or contact city officials to voice concerns about projects they believe could impact historic character. 

Similar community involvement surfaced during debate over a proposed project along Patten Parkway. Some historic commercial buildings were scheduled to be torn down and replaced with a 12-story residential and commercial structure. 

The new structure would not only block the well known sunlight that shines through the unique stained glass windows of the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul next door, but would also tear down the 19 Patten Parkway brick buildings. The commercial structure dates back to the 1880s, and which can be found on Natioanl Register of Histoic Places.

Residents, church members, and preservation advocates spoke at public meetings and raised concerns about the impact of this development on the area. The planning commission ultimately voted to deny the rezoning request needed for the 12-story building project, and the developers withdrew their request. 

However, Cline noted that public petitions themselves do not determine whether a permit is issued. 

“But it can still have influence at a political level, whether that’s talking with property owners or reaching out to City Council.” 

As Chattanooga continues to grow, preservation policies help guide how the city manages new development while also protecting historic buildings and neighborhoods. Through the work of the CHZC, city planners, and community members, decisions about historic properties become part of a broader conversation about how the city grows. While development will continue to reshape parts of Chattanooga, preservation planning aims to ensure the historic places that reflect the city’s past remain part of its future.

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