Kingsport Housing & Redevelopment Authority

April 3, 2007

Contact: Doris Ladd, HOPE VI Director
Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Phone: 423.392.2569

Architects Named for HOPE VI Project

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Cornerstone Housing, the developer-partner for the HOPE VI (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere) project and the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority have awarded the architectural contract for the revitalization of the Riverview public housing development to a joint venture - CainRashWest Architects of Kingsport, Tenn. and Martella Associates of St. Michaels, Md.

"The announcement of the architects for the HOPE VI project puts our community another step closer to the fulfillment of the vision of revitalization for the Riverview community," said Mayor Dennis Phillips. "Kingsport will see this project working for our whole community by providing new housing, educational opportunities, and jobs for our citizens."

CainRashWest is responsible for numerous projects in the Tri-Cities region, including the recently opened East Stone Commons retail center. Martella Associates was the architect for the recently completed HOPE VI revitalization of Mechanicsville Commons in Knoxville, Tenn. The award-winning project replaced post-World War II barracks-type housing with a new neighborhood of single family and duplex residences.

Luther Cain, AIA, will serve as principal in charge of the HOPE VI revitalization. Dineen West, AIA, and Jennifer Martella, AIA, will share the role of lead architect. Martella will also serve as project manager.

"The current public housing facilities in the Riverview neighborhood are obsolete," explains Kirk Gray, CEO of Cornerstone Housing. "This revitalization will create a nicer community neighborhood with pedestrian-friendly streets and architecture that builds on the character of this region."

Martella and West will conduct site meetings and community input sessions within the next few weeks. Demolition of the existing housing on Sherwood and Hiwassee Streets is scheduled to begin this fall with the construction to follow by end of the year. The demolition of public housing facilities in Riverview is scheduled for late Spring 2008. The construction of new housing on this site is anticipated to begin in 2009.

The Riverview revitalization project is a collaborative effort between Cornerstone and the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority (KHRA) that won an $11.9 million HOPE VI federal grant in 2006. Kingsport was one of only four cities nationwide to win the grant last year.

KHRA has the responsibility and the power to act on behalf of the City of Kingsport to manage redevelopment within the city. Though the main mission of KHRA is to provide decent housing for those in need, the organization has undertaken the redevelopment of select areas of the city that support increased economic viability for the community such as the new East Stone Commons Center in the Kingsport Mall Redevelopment District and the current revitalization of the Crown Point Center in the Green Acres/Crown Point/Southland Redevelopment District.

While the HOPE VI grant funds provide Kingsport with the revenue to change the physical landscape of the Riverview neighborhood, they also open the door for greater economic opportunities for some of its citizens. As part of the grant, funds were allocated for educational programs for the citizens of the affected areas so they might have access to better jobs and, as a result, gain greater financial freedom with the long-range goal of equipping them to be homeowners.

Founded in 1995, Cornerstone Housing is a nationally recognized development firm specializing in HOPE VI community revitalization projects. By creating public/private partnerships at the local level, Cornerstone is able to work closely with communities and housing authorities to jumpstart neighborhood reinvestment, increase the local tax base and provide credible opportunities for motivating families to transition from dependency to self-sufficiency.

The EDGE Group, a design firm with offices in Nashville, Tennessee, will provide the master planning and architectural design work as part of the development team. The EDGE Group has worked as the Master Planner with Cornerstone on several HOPE VI transformations throughout the country. Their expertise includes community planning and design, urban design and revitalization, and sports and recreation site design.

HOPE VI is a federally funded program that developed as a result of recommendations by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing. The commission was charged with proposing a National Action Plan to eradicate severely distressed public housing. Revitalization was recommended in three general areas: physical improvements, management improvements, and social and community services to address resident needs.