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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Bubbling underneath Burlington Park is one of Johnson City’s most iconic natural resources.
Brush Creek runs under the building and flows out the other side until it reaches Founders Park downtown, but soon it might not make the pass underground at all.
Last month, developers approached the city with a plan to bring the creek above ground as part of a massive redevelopment of the Burlington Park area.
New Jersey-based developer Yuri Miller told News Channel 11 that property owner Michael Kalish approached Miller for help re-working the property.
“I saw the opportunity to build quality homes without getting too crazy on expenses,” Miller said. “I thought by executing the details and executing the project properly you can really build an exceptional project for the common person.”
Current plans call for 786 units across nine, five-story buildings centered around the re-surfaced Brush Creek and 40,000 square feet of retail space.
City officials seem excited about the project as well.
“To me, it sounds really good for us,” Assistant City Manager Randy Trivette told News Channel 11. “If it goes the way it’s being pitched, it sounds like it’s going to provide a necessary housing development and also a retail growth.”
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A 2022 city study reported a nearly 5,000-unit housing gap. Of that number, 2,260 are rental units.
“We understand that the city is upside down on those housing accommodations and have drastic, terrible numbers on that,” Miller said. “We’re trying to figure out what we can do to try to accommodate those professionals and workforce people that need housing.”
Some of the building’s current commercial tenants have raised concerns about being forced to relocate. However, Miller says the project will be conducted in phases, with residential tenants relocating first and commercial tenants likely three to four years from relocation.
“Buildings usually don’t go up overnight,” Miller said. He said the environmental reviews necessary to un-bury the creek will likely extend the path to construction.
Miller said he expects to break ground on the project at the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Trivette agreed that such a massive development requires careful planning.
“When you’re going to build that much residential that is needed and then that much commercial space, about 40,000 square foot of of commercial retail, then that’s going to impact the traffic,” Trivette said.
City staff are already conducting a traffic study.
