Knox County Housing Authority continues building renovations

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The Knox County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners met this morning and received an update on renovation work planned for Bluebell and Moon Towers.

KCHA Executive Director Derek Antoine told commissioners that work on Bluebell Tower will take two weeks longer to complete than originally anticipated. 

Upon digging through concrete, construction crews found some products did not fit the original design. Antoine says the issue is minor, though renovation work may take until November, instead of October as originally planned. 

Meanwhile, work on Moon Tower is expected to start August 9th and should be completed by the end of October. Commissioners approved another payment today to the contractor Hein Construction in the amount of $89,000 for work on both buildings. 

The 19-unit renovation has displaced 10 residents. Antoine tells WGIL that while five were able to find temporary housing or family to stay with, that might not be the case for the final five.

“We had notices given, we were able to move people within the building and ultimately it worked out,” Antoine says. “That’s what we’d like to do, but the likelihood of that happening again is probably pretty low. I’d say we’ll probably have to put somebody in a hotel.”

In other news, the housing authority’s current contract with Attorney Jack Ball has come to fruition. Ball, who has provided legal counsel since 2013, is in the third and final year of his contract renewal. 

Antoine says the KCHA must bid out the services and will do so at the end of the week.

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