A Knoxville homebuilder broke ground Tuesday on the first of three new subdivisions it plans to build in Ooltewah and Cleveland as the company expands its East Tennessee footprint to help fill the region’s housing gap.
Turner Homes LLC, a family-owned building and real estate firm that has operated in the Knoxville area since 1971, is entering the Chattanooga market by developing a 118-unit subdivision known as James Creek at 6725 Ooltewah-Georgetown Road and will soon break ground on another 211-unit residential development known as The Wellington up the road a couple miles in Ooltewah.
To market the new Ooltewah developments, as well as another subdivision Turner Homes plans to build in nearby Cleveland, an affiliated real estate company known as Woody Creek Realty opened a new office in Ooltewah on Tuesday.
“This is a growing region, and there is still an unmet need for housing, especially new housing that is more affordable,” Turner Homes President Andrew Fraser said Tuesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the James Creek subdivision. “We continue to see people move into this region, and we’re trying to meet the need for more housing here.”
The homes in James Creek are expected to be priced from the low $300,000s to the mid $400,000s, depending upon their size and options. The 118-home neighborhood will feature floor plans from 1,362 square feet to 2,363 square feet, according to the Turner Homes’ website.