The Knox County Housing Authority expects renovations on Bluebell Tower and Moon Towers to be complete by the end of October.
The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners today approved a $22,400 payment to Hein Construction for the work on the two buildings.
The total cost of renovation work, which began in May, is expected to cost over $750,000. The work is needed to meet Housing and Urban Development standards for tenants with disabilities.
Executive Director Derek Antoine told the commissioners finding places for tenants displaced by construction has been a challenge.
“We’ve got 10 people to move, we don’t have 10 units to put them into here,” Antoine said. “Some folks are going to have to go to hotels. There has been a little resistance to that, but it’s work that we have to do to bring these units into compliance. So that’ll get processed and we’re doing the best we can to accommodate, to work with folks. We’ve been in close contact with HUD.”
Bluebell Towers tenants who have moved during renovations should be back in their units by the end of July. Affected Moon Towers tenants will move out around July 15 and should be back in their homes in September.
A total of 19 units are being renovated.
