CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (September 4, 2026) – Urban Story Ventures is pleased to announce the transformation of the former Arcade Beauty site. Hundreds of jobs have been created through leasing to multiple new tenants, including Cintas, a national leading provider of facility products and services, reaching over one million businesses during the workday.
The local commercial real estate developer saw the end of one company’s chapter on Amnicola Highway as a new chapter for economic development in Chattanooga. Following the acquisition, Urban Story Ventures shared the vision to bring new jobs to the former bustling industrial site, which includes two buildings totaling 169,000 square feet and 9.8 acres of undeveloped land already zoned for manufacturing.
Cintas and Kunin Technologies moved into the 3720 Amnicola Highway building, where Urban Story Ventures made multiple improvements, including refreshing the façade, installing a new security gate, building a more open floor plan, replacing and repairing several dock doors, replacing flooring, and coating with fresh paint. Kunin, “the by-product critical metal company of America,” is a vertically integrated ion-exchange company, acting as a resin manufacturer, process technology developer, and metal producer. In April of this year, Kunin became one of five organizations to received federal funds from a $5.4 million project announced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI).
“When I heard about Arcade Beauty leaving and saw how strong the site was, I knew we had a rare opportunity in Chattanooga’s industrial market,” said Jimmy White, president and managing partner for Urban Story Ventures. “Value-add projects are at the core of what we do. What our team has accomplished at Amnicola — and with zero public incentives — is another prime example of Urban Story Ventures taking a vacated space, reviving it, and doing so in a way with positive economic development impact.”
The main building, 3800 Amnicola Highway, is 130,000 square feet and has been converted to a multi- tenant space that received upgrades in the existing office space, including a new bathroom and kitchen, as well as improvements to the parking lot and new drive-in doors.
At 3800, Urban Story Ventures has signed lease agreements with Woodbridge Chattanooga Formed Plastics and Day & Zimmermann. Woodbridge is an industry leader in material technologies for automotive, commercial, recreational, packaging, healthcare, and building product applications and has 40 locations across eight countries. Day & Zimmermann is an integrated provider of global security, critical infrastructure solutions, and architecture and engineering services to the U.S. Government and commercial clients, operating out of 150 locations worldwide. Today, one 30,000-square-foot space remains to be leased, and the developer is in active discussions with prospects.
“We are blown away by the tenants operating here now,” said White. “To have so many leaders in their respective fields and employing such high-quality jobs, this is what it’s all about,” shared White.
Following the improvements and lease-up, Urban Story Ventures entered negotiations with DNA Partners, who purchased the property at 3720 Amnicola Highway last month.
“Just like other properties including The Edney and the historic Dome Building, we have come full circle at 3720. We took a vacant building, refreshed it, and filled it with quality jobs,” said White. “With the Bend and Jailhouse Studios under development and taking off rapidly, we are splitting our attention between completing smaller scale projects while also becoming increasingly involved in the new ventures, which will require much more of our team in the coming months.”
Urban Story Ventures has owned, invested in, and managed industrial space in the market since 2014. Some of the industrial employers Urban Story Ventures has recruited include Novonix, Lincoln Electric, HEF USA, and Micronics.
About Urban Story Ventures
Urban Story Ventures is a Southeast commercial real estate development group based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Led by Jimmy White, the company’s portfolio focuses on mixed-use, office, industrial, and
retail sites, reimagined for their highest and best use. Projects include iconic and historical landmark buildings as well as 100+ acre redevelopments like the Bend. Full-service capabilities include property management, leasing, and maintenance. For more information, visit UrbanStoryVentures.com.
