Feasibility Study Aimed At Bringing Redevelopment To Downtown Johnson City

By Nate Morabito
Reporter / WJHL
Published: July 22, 2008

The Johnson City Development Authority says a feasibility study could result in major development along the downtown section of State of Franklin Road. Cosultants from Orlando, Florida-based Real Estate Research Consultants, are spending the week in Johnson City. The JCDA hired the company to come up with a plan to jump-start redevelopment near downtown.

The feasibility study is targeting the State of Franklin corridor, which stretches from East Tennessee State University to the Interstate 26 exit downtown. When the study is complete, the JCDA hopes to have a better idea of what kind of businesses and developments could survive along the corridor and which ones could not.

“We’d still like to see a lot more restaurants and specialty shops and more galleries in the core of downtown,“ Nelson Fine Art owner Dick Nelson said.

He believes, with this new study now underway, it’s now just a matter of time until the city starts seeing changes.

“We’ve been watching this corridor between the university and downtown for years and years and years and waiting for something to happen and I think this will be part of helping that happen,“ Nelson said.

At first glance, Real Estate Research Consultants says there is potential along State of Franklin Road. RERC Vice President David Darsey thinks ETSU and the Johnson City Medical Center show there is a demand for development in-and-around downtown, specifically for students and medical professionals. The company hopes to present its findings to the JCDA within the next six weeks.

“You need something going for it and I think you’ve got the beginnings of that here,“ Darsey said.

But what kind of development? More restaurants? Condos? Entertainment? Retail? Medical office space? The JCDA hopes the feasibility study provides the answer, so its redevelopment efforts don’t fail.

“You can go to many cities in America where they’ve overbuilt office space that sits empty or you’ll see large condos where only two lights are on in the whole building at night,“ JCDA Executive Director Suzanne Kuehn said. “Those are mistakes.“