Construction begins on 10-unit condo complex at Main and Jefferson streets

Construction work on a condo complex can be seen at the corner of Main and Jefferson streets. / Photo by Dave Flessner

Nearly three decades ago when Mike Long bought an office on East Main Street to house his commercial building business, the local builder said the area was far from the trendy urban attraction it is today.

"I was one of the first persons down on Main Street other than the prostitutes and the drug dealers," Long quipped Monday in describing his investments in the area.

But Long, who owns Proficiency Property Management & Construction LLC, is now eager to develop the corner lot at Main and Jefferson streets which he bought in 2003. Long has begun site work for a 10-unit residential condominium complex that will offer homeowners three-story, ground-floor condos on Main Street with flex space, patios and garages.

Known as Jefferson on Main, the $4.5 million development will include two- and three-bedroom condos with 2,100-2,200 square feet each, Each of the condos will feature front and rear balconies on each floor, as well as an attached garage. The units are initially priced at around $440,000 to $479,000 each and should be built over the next year.

"I have always wanted to develop this site and Main Street has finally taken off and made this a very attractive site where people can walk to parks, restaurants, work and nightlife," Long said. "We also wanted to be able to offer units with ground floor access on Main Street, which most of the other housing along Main Street don't have because they are built on top of first-floor retail or commercial use."

The redeveloping Main Street and Jefferson Heights areas on the Southside have added more than 100 new homes and apartment units over the past decade, along with at least a half dozen new restaurants. The redevelopment of the nearby Chattanooga Choo Choo from a hotel facility to a mixed hotel, restaurant and entertainment complex also has helped spur more eating options and nightlife in the area.

Paul Wilkinson with Reflective Homes, a local Builder, is building the new condos for the Jefferson on Main, which is scheduled for completion next spring. Site development was planned by Barge Design Solutions to harmonize with Chattanooga's form-based code requirements for downtown and the Southside.

A planned limited pre-sale event for the new condos is scheduled for March 9-10 by the Keller Williams team of Mike and Jana Machaskee. At the event, home buyers will be offered special incentives, including pricing advantages and free design consultation and premium features and floor designs.

The event is scheduled at the Moxy Hotel at the corner of King and Market between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Owners will be able to use the free gas powered shuttle to go anywhere downtown without having to worry about driving or parking, Machaskee said.

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340