Chattanooga Health, Educational and Housing Facilities Board Meeting - October 20, 2025
Health, Educational and Housing Facilities Board Meeting - October 20, 2025
The Health, Educational and Housing Facilities Board of the City of Chattanooga met on October 20, 2025, with a quorum present but without the chair or vice chair. Secretary Hank Wales was elected chair pro tempore to preside over the meeting. The board approved the minutes of the September 15, 2025 meeting, heard public comment, and voted on several bond issuances, PILOT agreements, and other items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Janice Gooden addressed the board, expressing support for proposals regarding Overlook Apartments and Eastwood Manor, and inquired about compliance with the PILOT program.
Discussion Items
- Overlook Apartments Bond Issuance ($15 million): Zane Mehmud of PATS Development LLC presented a plan to renovate the 162-unit existing LIHTC property at 1201 Boeington Drive, including $12 million in critical repairs, with no permanent displacement of residents. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
- Eastwood Manor Apartments Bond Issuance ($18 million): Deedra Burroughs of AAMCI Development presented a rehabilitation of the 98-unit elderly/disabled community, with $8.1 million in hard costs. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
- Eastwood Manor PILOT Agreement: Staff presented the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, requiring 30-year affordability restrictions and compliance standards. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
- Mixed-Income PILOT for 702 Manufacturers Road (Atlantic Companies): Hanukkah Finkelstein (city staff) and Frank Reese (Atlantic Companies) presented the first mixed-income project under the revised PILOT program. The 278-unit development will include 42 affordable units (15% of total) – 32 units at 60% AMI and 10 units at 80% AMI. The current tax bill of $9,055 will increase to a PILOT payment of $341,931 (69% abatement). The project also includes rebuilding Paper Mill Road. The board approved the resolution unanimously.
- Walnut Commons PILOT – Quitclaim Deed Transfer: Valerie (city attorney's office) explained that the PILOT for Walnut Commons expires December 31, 2025, and the lessee (Churner Chattanooga LLC) is exercising an option to purchase. The board approved the quitclaim deed transaction unanimously.
- PILOT and Affordable Housing Fund Annual Report: Sandra Gober, Director of Housing and Community Investment, presented the annual report summarizing active PILOT projects, compliance, and the Affordable Housing Fund. The report is publicly available via Hamilton County PILOT records. Board members asked questions about compliance and public access.
- Standeford Place Behavioral Health Hospital Proposal: Mr. Clark of National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) proposed a 24-bed behavioral health hospital (inpatient and outpatient) at Standeford Place, a $12 million investment, using existing lease terms without monetary request. The board voted unanimously to accept the report and move forward.
Key Outcomes
- Approve Overlook Apartments bond issuance ($15M) – unanimous aye.
- Approve Eastwood Manor bond issuance ($18M) – unanimous aye.
- Approve Eastwood Manor PILOT agreement – unanimous aye.
- Approve 702 Manufacturers Road mixed-income PILOT – unanimous aye.
- Approve Walnut Commons quitclaim deed transfer – unanimous aye.
- Accept Standeford Place behavioral health project report – unanimous aye.
- Meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon to the board and to all of our guests who are here with us today. My name is Harold De Bryson. I'm one of the assistant city attorneys here for the city. I know that you all are used to seeing Mr. Knoblett here, um, but I am filling in for him today. Before we start the meeting, we have a bit of housekeeping to take care of. Uh neither the chair nor the vice chair of the board are present today. And so um our secretary of the board, Mr. Hank Wales will call the meeting to order, and then the board will proceed with electing a chair pro team who will preside just over today's meeting. Mr. Wales. Uh thank you. So I'm I'll call the meeting uh of the um October meeting of the educational and housing facility board of the city of Chattanooga to order. Um and as Ms. Bryson has said we don't have a quorum. I mean, we don't have a chair today, we do have a quorum. Um I should ask the city attorney's office if the meeting has been properly advertised. And uh and we do have a quorum, but no chair, so we'll I entertain a motion to elect a chair pro temp. Um move to elect uh secretary Wells as the chair protest. We didn't give you a lot of options, did we second motion's been made and seconded? Is there any uh other discussions? All those in favor say aye. Thank you. I guess um first thing we generally do is to uh approve the minutes of the September 15 meeting. I think those have been distributed to you that are in your packet. Um is there are there any questions or comments about the minutes, or is there a motion? I'll go ahead and make a motion to approve minutes. Any opposed? Thank you. Um we usually at this point in the meeting uh ask that anybody in the audience that wishes to address the the board do so at this time. Um you'll have also have an opportunity when various agenda items come up. But uh, I see Ms. Gooden is standing at the agenda at the podium there. Good morning. My name is Janice Gooden. Um I've been following some of the uh I won't say cases, but uh some of the proposals for housing, overlook, and Eastwood Manor. And I'm happy to see these come forward. One of the questions I also have is about the pilot program. What compliance looks like. So I see that there is a presentation. So I'd like more information about that. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Gooden, we'll we'll make sure that you get your questions answered at the time of the of that presentation. Excellent. Thank you. Others. Uh the next item on the agenda, then is the or first item on the agenda is the overlook apartments bond issuance. $15 million.
openpublica.com