History of Lupton City:
In 1920, John T. Lupton acquired 1,000 acres of land near the Tennessee River and created the mill town of Lupton City for his Dixie Mercerizing Co. The Dixie Co. changed its name to Dixie Yarns in 1964, and later to the Dixie Group. The mill used the mercerizing process to make yarn and fabric stronger and easier to dye by altering the chemical structure. Dixie Yarns sold the mill to R.L. Stowe Mills in 1998, and it began producing thread. The plant closed in 2009 and was sold to Lupton City LLC in 2012. Lupton City LLC is connected to the Dockery Group, which is based out of Peachtree City, Ga.Source: Times Free Press archives
Vic Chastain says it looks like a bomb went off in his neighborhood.
He looks out of his back window and sees acres of land covered with heaps of broken bricks, piles of scrap metal and sunlight streaming through the missing walls of a partially demolished building. A flimsy chain-link fence is all that separates what neighbors call an "eyesore" from the historic neighborhood known as Lupton City.
The rubble is the remains of the Dixie Yarns mill, built in 1920 by businessman John T. Lupton, who constructed a classic "company town" around it.
Chastain remembers when the mill was the centerpiece of the town -- a point of pride.
The mill changed hands over the years and finally closed in 2009. In 2012, the nearly 12-acre plot was sold for $220,000 to Lupton City LLC, which is connected to the Dockery Group of Peachtree City, Ga. The new owners began to demolish the mill and salvage the parts.
Valuable wood and metal was hauled off and sold. Most of the buildings were brought to the ground. Neighbors believed that the mill would be repurposed into additional housing or a park.
But abruptly, the demolition stopped. Truckloads of brick no longer pulled away from the property. Machinery was no longer tearing down buildings. Neighbors and local business owners said they were given no explanations.
"They got it tore down about 90 percent, and then got up and left it," Chastain said. "Anybody that comes in here and tears something down like that and leaves a mess is just making our neighborhood look bad."
Chastain is not alone in his frustration.
James Leeth, owner and manager of Lupton City Golf Course adjacent to the old mill, said he has been watching the lot sit undeveloped for almost a year.
"The men who were tearing it [down] took the money and ran," he said. "It's definitely an eyesore, and it supports criminal activity in the neighborhood."
The Dockery Group's owners did not return several requests for comment Wednesday.
According to Chattanooga City Councilman Jerry Mitchell, the property owners owe two years of unpaid property taxes. If they don't pay up, the land will be defaulted to the city and Hamilton County in 2016. Mitchell said the owners have told him they cannot afford the taxes.
"Until the current owners walk away I don't think anything can be done," Mitchell said. "They have proven that as long as they remain in control, property taxes aren't going to be paid and they're going to avoid paying fines."
Mitchell said several City Court hearings have been held on the matter. The city could be charging the owners a fine of $50 per day, but has yet to enforce anything.
On April 9, the landowners are due again in City Court, and Mitchell said he is encouraging the city attorney to push for maximum fines to encourage them to do something with the land. Mitchell said preliminary estimates say that it will cost around $1 million to finish hauling off the debris.
The former site of the R. L. Stowe plant in Lupton City is seen in a partial state of demolition on March 31, 2015, in Chattanooga.Lacie Stone, spokeswoman for Mayor Andy Berke, said the city attorney's office and the economic and community development department are working on a plan in case the land is defaulted to the city and county.
"[We are] working to determine possible next steps to improve the quality of life for Lupton City residents," Stone said in an email.
Leeth says he and everyone else in the neighborhood are tired of waiting. The Dockery Group told him and a business partner they could buy the land for $1. Leeth saw this as an opportunity to do something with the blight and save taxpayers the cost of the cleanup.
"We are here and are having to look at it, and are having to deal with it so we offered a solution," he said. " ... Anything to get it cleaned up is fine with me."
Leeth presented a proposal to the city asking that the back taxes, which exceed $100,000, be forgiven. But the city attorney told him that's not possible under state law. Leeth said he does not have the money to pay the taxes and redevelop the property.
"The city has the resources to do it, but I just thought we could be involved and do a good deed," Leeth said. "I see it as a chance for private citizens to win and clean up the neighborhood."
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.