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In a recent session, the Washington County Commission in Tennessee cast a unanimous vote—despite the absence of five members—approving a resolution to urge state legislators to revise the Regional Retail Tourism Development District Act. The suggested amendment aims to eliminate a specific clause tied to the population count.
This initiative stems from a request by Johnson City officials concerning a proposed 920-acre development in Boones Creek, which initially received approval in 2019.
The Regional Retail Tourism Development District Act is designed to enable counties that share borders with other states to foster retail developments. This strategy is intended to boost tourism and generate revenue by competing with neighboring states. According to the act, eligible districts must have a population ranging from 122,900 to 123,000 based on the 2010 census. However, Washington County’s current population no longer aligns with these figures.
“The resolution seeks to eliminate concerns about the population requirement in Washington County,” explained Cathy Ball, Johnson City’s city manager. “This change would provide clarity for developers, ensuring that we can proceed with the retail and entertainment district without ambiguity and cover all financial aspects involved.”
Ball further informed News Channel 11 that the amendment would address any potential constitutional issues related to development based on population criteria. Meanwhile, the city’s bond counsel is actively working to ensure the project proceeds smoothly.
30% of the proposed Boones Creek development is already developed, and local developers have expressed interest in taking on the remainder, said Ball.
She also said this development will drive foot traffic to Boones Creek.
“It’s particularly geared to draw people in from the region,” said Ball. “Draw people two to three hours away to come in to Washington County and Johnson City to be able to shop, to experience things, but it has that experiential factor to it as well.”
District Five Commissioner Bryan Davenport told the commission he believes the development will parallel the Pinnacle in Bristol, Tennessee, and bring revenue to Washington County.
Ball said it’s that experiential factor that will set the Boones Creek development apart from the Pinnacle.
“There’s a lot that we would like to see happen there that are experiences for families to have as opposed to just retail shopping,” Ball said. “We’re excited and hope that we have some development that comes forward that offers a wide range of entertainment types of value in addition to the retail.”
The requested amendment will now go to local state lawmakers for consideration of amending the population aspect of the Regional Retail Tourism Development District Act.