DNA

Please RSVP so Jeff can have an idea about how many tasty treats to prepare.

6:15pm Kingsport Facade Grant Program & The Keys to Successful Development in the Kingsport Historic District - John & Angela Vashon

DNA

Results of the

General Membership Meeting

held on Tuesday, July 17, 6:00pm at the

Mid City Grill

(106 S. Commerce St.)

I would like to thank Jeff Pike for providing the meeting place and a wonderful sampling of menu items (duck, scallops, shrimp, marinated steak, and crab cakes to mention a few) from the Mid City Grill open late night and now open for dinner.

Steve Shell from the Codes and Enforcement Department provided information on the building codes with a great discussion on the International Building Codes, soon to be adopted by Johnson City . Once adopted, this will give Downtown Johnson City development a boost as it already has in Downtown Bristol and Kingsport .

John and Angela Vachon, DNA members and owners of Urban Synergy, gave an outstanding presentation on the Kingsport Facade Grant program with stunning before and after pictures of renovated Downtown Kingsport facades. The improvement of the facades is a significant contributing factor that has lead to an increase of new businesses opening in Downtown Kingsport. According to John, Kingsport now has over 22 restaurants in the downtown area and there is a push by the Kingsport city government to increase the development of new downtown residences. Scheduled tours of Downtown Kingsport new developments, a summer concert series on Thursday and Friday nights, redesign of the streetscapes, sculpture and art exhibits in public spaces, all coupled with development friendly International Building Codes and a partnership with a great deal of support (full and/or partially funding) from city government makes Kingsport an exciting place to live, work, and play.

By now you are probably asking yourself the same question the people who attended the meeting did...why not Downtown Johnson City?

1) To lobby with city government for the adoption of the International Building Codes in Johnson City and establish a façade grant program.

2) To host meetings with the Johnson City Department of Codes and Enforcement, building owners, and business operators to increase the understanding of the requirements for successful development under the current Tennessee Building Codes.

3) To jointly sponsor (DNA and JCDA) a seminar presented by PATTI GLAZER, AIA is the principal of Glazer Architecture, an Asheville , NC based company, on the International Building Codes (IBC). Patti is considered an expert in the IBC and describes herself as a “codes geek”.

4) To jointly sponsor (DNA and JCDA) a special tour of Downtown Kingsport development for key Johnson City city officials and downtown stakeholders with the hope that seeing what Kingsport has done and how they have done it will increase the support for and energize the development of Downtown Johnson City.