John Sevier replacement housing well under way

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — John Sevier Center residents Jeff Ramsey and Brenda Allen were nearly at a loss for words when, for the first time, they saw their future home on South Roan Street swarming with construction workers and rising three stories above the East Tennessee clay soil.

“I’m ecstatic,” Ramsey said, looking at progress on The Tapestry at Roan Hill, currently slated to open near the end of 2025. “I can’t wait.”

Allen, who has lived for almost two years in a small studio apartment in the 11-story, century-old John Sevier Center (JSC) a mile-and-a-half to the north, agreed.

“I have a dog and it’s real small for us,” Allen said. “I’m actually getting my own bedroom. I’m really looking forward to the bedroom more than anything.”

The pair are among roughly 150 disabled or elderly residents who live in the federally subsidized Sevier Center. For five years now, residents have been waiting for a change announced when the Johnson City Development Authority (JCDA) bought the building for about $4.6 million.

The intention was twofold: Work out a deal with a housing management company familiar with subsidized housing to get replacement apartments built; and market the soon-to-be empty JSC to a private developer for a new, “highest and best” use.

It was arguably a very heavy lift, and local taxpayers have borne some of the burden, with more subsidies likely . But JCDA Executive Director Tish Oldham told News Channel 11 that cresting University Parkway, heading south on Roan Street, and seeing the complex rise above the horizon is a great feeling.

“I think that many people are to be commended for the commitment, both financially and just the fortitude to have some vision about making sure that we have good housing for all of our residents in Johnson City,” said Oldham, who came to her job in early 2022, two-and-a-half years after JCDA bought the former grand hotel.

Leaders at LHP, the company that now manages JSC and is constructing the $31 million project a stone’s throw from South Roan Street, say the project is still on track to be move-in ready at the end of 2025.

Units will be about 240 square feet larger, on average, than the JSC apartments. They’ll all be one-bedroom, whereas the John Sevier has several dozen studio units. They’ll be equipped with washers and dryers, the building will rise just three stories, everything will be geared toward accessibility and there will be a large, enclosed courtyard.

Each apartment will have its own door to the outside, even if it’s just to an upper-story walkway, while JSC is filled with narrow, dim hallways that bear ample evidence of age.

“There is a significant change in what the quality of life will be,” Oldham said.

Ramsey said he’s not unhappy at JSC, but he’s seen enough of the age-related challenges during one year there that the move can’t come soon enough.

“It’s an old building, you know, you’re gonna have your problems, water pressures, lights, the fire alarms, stuff like that, they’re goin’ off,” he said. “But you know, coming into here will be 110 percent better.

“There’s gonna be like a little gym here. Outside court in the middle, all grassed area where you can sit out there. I like it a lot. It’s gonna be well worth it.”

Oldham said she runs into residents as she strolls near her downtown office, and she said for many of them, “the fact that it’s a reality has been somewhat difficult to absorb, I believe. It’s been a long time coming.”

She said LHP management is providing regular updates for residents, making sure they’re aware of nearby pharmacies, supermarkets and other basic necessities. Transferring the housing vouchers that allow most rent payments to come from the federal government required that any new location be close to bus routes, medical care and other basic needs.

For a few years, residents’ primary question was, “Is it really going to happen,” Oldham said.

Ramsey concurred. “All the years you’ve been hearing about them putting it in, putting it in, putting it in — I didn’t think it was gonna happen but hey, I was wrong. I’m glad, oh yes sir, yes sir.”

The objective now is ensuring as many of the current residents as possible get comfortable about moving — something that’s not always easy even if the destination is far superior to the present situation.

But if Allen and Ramsey’s opinions are any indication, they’re likely to have a lot of takers.

“They had a meeting in the music room, they were really hyped up about it, and then when they did the groundbreaking I’m like, ‘yeah, let’s get it going, guys,'” Allen said. “I want them to hurry.”

“Everybody’s ready,” Ramsey said. “People I talk to, they like where they live at here, but with all the problems, like I said, it’s an old building.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.