A controversial low-income housing development in downtown Chattanooga is inching toward fruition, despite concerned neighbors.
The city council unanimously approved two resolutions on Tuesday night authorizing the city mayor to begin negotiations and a brownfield application in preparation for a proposed 60-unit, low-income housing development at the site of an old city-owned building.
The proposed development at 1815 Main St., the former site of Arcade Beauty, would be the product of the local psychosocial support nonprofit organization AIM Center and the Vecino Group, a Missouri-based development company that focuses on supportive residential developments with properties in seven states. It would have 15 units for people with mental illnesses and who are low-income citizens, with the rest open to others in need of low-income housing.
AIM Center, a group with more than 70 similar units already in Chattanooga, spurred the idea by reaching out to the city.
(MORE: Chattanooga, private partners seek to bring 60 affordable housing units to Main Street)
While the development would improve the ecological quality of the site and only cost the city the donation of the property, neighbors and tenants have voiced concerns about the potential clientele of the proposed housing as well as the relocation of two nonprofits that now work out of the warehouse in question.
District 8 Councilman Anthony Byrd recognized the community's input at a meeting of the city council on Tuesday before motioning in favor of both resolutions.
"Once it comes time for us to talk about or it comes to actually donate the land, it will have to come back before this body," Byrd said with some 15 constituents in the audience. "Then afterward, if that were to happen, another portion of that would come up for zoning as well."
While he has not made his stance clear, Byrd encouraged community members to participate in the process and city officials to engage those communities as much as possible through the process.
AIM President Donna Maddox explained last week that, while some units will be specifically for the people with mental illnesses, all will be required to meet the criteria of the housing authority's voucher program, like those of any other citizen living in low-income housing with assistance.
"This is an apartment complex and a home for people," Maddox said. "That's who we're talking about: people that qualify for that voucher and will be paying 30% of that affordable housing rent."
"Everyone who lives there won't require [psychosocial] services, but our services will be available to them," she added.
Multiple community meetings to discuss the proposed development are scheduled for this week.
In other news, the city council voted to move the March 3 business meeting back to 4 p.m. from 6 p.m. in observance of the "Super Tuesday" election for the 2020 local and presidential primaries.
Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at 423-757-6416 or at staylor@timesfreepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.