The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-23
COUNTY ENTERS
| MOVIE GAME
Leases North Chattanooga
Property to Colvert Inter-
ests for Fifteen Years.
SIS, 900 IMPROVEMENTS
Handsome Studios to Be Built
by Picture Show Magnates
on Property.

At meeting held In the once Of
\ County Judge Sam A. Conner
\ Wednesday morning an agreement
q was reached by which the county will
lease for a term of fifteen years part
of the tract of land in North Chat
4tanooga now known as the Normal
Park property to motion picture show
interests headed by Capt. e. II. Cal
vert. The agreement will be ratified
by the county court either at its next
session or, II necessary, Judge Con-
ner stated, he would call special
session, as he considers the project an
excellent one and to the very best in
forests of both the city and county.
tThose attending the meeting Wednes-
day and who stated they thoroughly
V agreed with the idea and the plans
+ suggested were Judge Conner, Mag
9 istrates J. j. Bork, II, B. Caulkins,
H. F.. Lawrence and Horace Hum
4 phreys, representing the county;
Capt. Calvert and his business man
I ager, representing the motion picture
interests. and Mayor j. Read Voigt.
of North Chattanooga, representing
the interests of his municipality.
Judge Conner stated after the meet
ing that 1t was one of the very best
moves for the city and county that
has ever been made and he predicted
a great success for the project.
1T will mean the bringing of two
to three hundred people here to be
engaged in the picture show business.
Besides, every picture taken and fin
ished in the new plant will bear the
name of Chattanooga wherever 1t is
shown, which in itself will be a big
advertisement for the CITY," stated
Judge Conner. His fdea is that some
time in the future the Normal Park
property can be converted into park
with all the very latest and most up
to- date improvements. Capt. Calvert
and his associates first intended to
locate on Signal mountain on tract
decided to them by c. e. James. but
on account of the high cost OF build
ing and the extra expense which
would be occasiohed by being on Sig
naf mountain, 1t was decided to seek
quarters near the city.
Big Development.
The conditions by which the pic
ture show interests are to gain the
ground in the Normal Park property
will be of great future benefit to the
property. Capt. Calvert and his as
sociates agree to erect on the prop
erty four large buildings at a cost of
between $4,000 and $4,000, besides
making other improvements. These
improvements are to revert to the
county at the expiration of the lease.
The lessees further agree to beautify
the property all that is possible. The
work of making the pictures will all
be done indoors and will occasion no
disorder or unnecessary noise.
Judge Conner stated Wednesday
morning that he lived near the prop
.erty and that he expected to be de-
lighted with rather than disturbed by
its location. Squire Horace Hum
phreys, of st. Elmo, stated that he
wished there was some way for Capt.
Calvert and his associates to come to
st. Elmo, for he would see that they
were well cared for and provided with
all the land they were looking for.
The space on which the new buildings
are to be erected is about 200x300
feet.
Judge Conner stated that while the
final plans had not yet been worked
out, he was satisfied it would go
through without hitch. He stated
he would at once call a special ses-
sion Of the county court to ratify the
agreement If necessary. However, he
said, he thought October, when the
court meets next, would be time
enough