BRISTOL, Tenn. – Louise Vicars stood among the smiling executives, public officials, federal representatives and scholars attending Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at Ridge View Apartments – but she had the biggest smile of all.
“I love it here,” said Vicars, who earlier this week became the Brown Avenue complex’s first tenant. “I think it’s a great place. And I think I’ll be very happy here.”
Vicars’ glowing words were happily received by Ernest Campbell, a Johnson City developer who last year had the vision of building Ridge View, a 20-unit, federally supported housing community for low- and moderate-income residents.
“It means a lot, because that’s why this has been built,” Campbell said of Vicars’ praise. “I really felt this was something needed in this community.”
And more than a few clearly shared that view: Thursday’s ceremony drew a wealth of local officials, including Milligan College President Donald Jeanes, Bristol Councilman James Messimer and John Abe Teague, a staffer for U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st.
“This is a wonderful addition to this community and region,” Teague said. “It’s just the type of project that Congressman Roe strongly supports, because it really meets a need in this area.”
Ridge View, which is behind Kmart on West State Street, was built through a partnership between Campbell, managing company M&M Properties, a Johnson City firm, and Milligan College. By agreeing to sponsor the estimated $1.7 million project, Milligan allowed Ridge View to receive non-profit status. That, in turn, made Ridge View eligible for federal money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Jeanes said while Milligan will gain nothing financially from sponsoring the Ridge View project, the college leapt at the chance to help others.
“We believe we’re preparing men and women to be servant leaders, and this lives up to that mission,” Jeanes said. “We’re very happy to be a part of it.”
All 20 units are one-level, one-bedroom apartments with top of the line lighting, heating, security and handicapped-accessibility, said Harry Gibson, chief executive officer of M&M Properties. Two units have been specially designed for residents with physical, audio or visual impairments, Gibson said.
He said while Vicars is currently the only resident at Ridge View, several more applicants are being reviewed for units. While residents will pay rent based on their incomes, their utilities are paid for, Gibson said.
The apartment complex drew raves from Kim Cox, supervisory project manager at HUD’s East Tennessee office in Knoxville. “This is one of the best projects we’ve ever supported,” Cox said. “It’s clean, it’s spacious and it’s been laid out really well. We’d love to make it a showcase for how housing communities should be done with our funding.”
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
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