KCDC marks 90 years of affordable housing and redevelopment

Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) celebrated its 90th anniversary with elected officials and community leaders to recognize nine decades of cultivating community through affordable housing, pathways to homeownership and landmark redevelopment with the City of Knoxville since the organization’s founding in 1936.

The May 14 celebration took place at the East Tennessee History Center in downtown Knoxville, where some of KCDC’s largest redevelopment efforts are located, including Historic Market Square and the World Fair’s site. The event included artifacts including a 1939 time capsule, as well as photographs, newspaper clippings and milestone accomplishments.

Originally founded on May 9, 1936, as the Knoxville Housing Authority (KHA), the current name of KCDC was established on March 26, 1973, to reflect the organization’s expanded role beyond housing and into community benefits and economic redevelopment.

In 2009, KCDC assumed responsibility for the Knox County Housing Authority, extending its work beyond the city into the broader county.

“It’s amazing to reflect on all that has been achieved over the last 90 years in Knoxville and Knox County and to acknowledge those who came before us,” said Ben Bentley, KCDC executive director and CEO. “Over the last nine decades, the organization has had multiple leaders and board members. Knoxville has had 14 city mayors in office since 1936. It took the collective efforts and vision of a lot of dedicated people to reach this milestone.”

KCDC now manages 20 housing properties and more than 3,800 units – a number set to expand to over 4,000 in 2027 – along with managing the application process and distribution of 4,000 Section 8 vouchers. KCDC also serves as the redevelopment agency for the City of Knoxville through the approval of tax credits and incentives for new businesses to locate in the area.

“The City’s partnership with KCDC has benefited our community for decades,” Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “From the revitalization of downtown and urban areas to new affordable housing neighborhoods that encourage residents to thrive, KCDC has helped push Knoxville forward under my administration and those of my predecessors. I congratulate KCDC on its 90th anniversary, and I look forward to all the progress that lies ahead.”

As the housing authority for the city, KCDC has transformed public housing into neighborhoods with access to economic opportunity, recreation, amenities and transportation.

The following include highlights of KCDC’s housing efforts:

• In 1997, KCDC earned a $26 million HOPE VI revitalization grant to rebuild Mechanicsville Commons on the site of College Homes. Outdated apartments became single-family and duplex homes with a mix of rentals and homeownership that preserved the historic nature of the neighborhood with new streets and sidewalks and completion in 2006. Updates in 2017 included interior renovations; new HVAC units; updated lighting, cabinets, appliances, interior doors and flooring; and repaved parking.
  
  
• In 2018, KCDC completed a revitalization and modernization of Lonsdale Homes, which was built in 1952, to increase curb appeal with front porches, sidewalks and enhanced landscaping; new cabinets, countertops, HVAC units and windows; and upgrades to appliances, sinks, tubs and electrical and plumbing systems.
  
  
• In 2020, KCDC completed the Five Points Redevelopment, which earned a neighborhood stabilization award from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA). The four-phase redevelopment replaced the outdated Walter P. Taylor Homes and Dr. Lee L. Williams Senior Complex developments with modern housing units and built on previous redevelopment in the area, including the adaptive reuse of Eastport School and The Residences at Eastport senior housing.
  
  
• In 2025, KCDC opened the final residential component First Creek at Austin and the city’s first mixed-income, affordable housing community for a total of 461 new residential units across three phases. The development, which has won local, state and national housing awards, transformed the former Austin Homes site, which opened in 1941.
  
  
• In 2025, KCDC opened Liberty Place, its housing community designed specifically for veterans, providing 32 units for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
  
  
• In 2026, KCDC opened The Overlook at Beaumont, the first new housing development of Transforming Western as part of the revitalization of Western Heights, which first opened in 1940. The multi-phase development will holistically change the Western Heights and Beaumont neighborhoods with access to early education, employment, healthcare, recreation and supportive services. Funding for Transforming Western comes in part from a $40 million U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods grant that was announced in 2022. KCDC was one of just four cities across the United States that year to earn the highly competitive funding.

“KCDC has evolved over 90 years to meet the needs of residents in Knoxville,” Bentley said. “The demand for affordable housing is even greater now, and KCDC will continue to explore all ways to increase availability through public and private partnerships. We also will continue to be excellent stewards for economic development and always earning the public’s trust in what we do and how we do it.”

The following are recent highlights of KCDC’s economic redevelopment and revitalization efforts with the City of Knoxville:

• KCDC helped prepare for the arrival of the 1982 World’s Fair, an event that brought more than 11 million people to Knoxville. KCDC acquired the property and adjacent land for the Lower Second Creek Redevelopment Project and improved connections between downtown, the University of Tennessee and Fort Sanders.
  
  
• In 1995, KCDC started waterfront improvements along Volunteer Landing that included condominiums, public park improvements, restaurants, Treaty of Holston statue, boat and fishing docks, fountains and a marina.
  
  
• The redevelopment of Market Square began in 2002 and spurred the revitalization of downtown Knoxville into a thriving district of business, entertainment, restaurants, hotels, recreation and residential properties. Market Square became the linchpin for downtown success and remains a popular site for events, festivals, farmers’ markets and seasonal celebrations with nearly 900,000 visitors a year. Overall, downtown attracts approximately 1.8 million visitors a year.
  
  
• Looking ahead, KCDC is proceeding with the Jackson Avenue redevelopment, which will revitalize the abandoned McClung Warehouses, which caught fire in 2007 and had to be demolished. The 3.4 acres across contiguous and vacant parcels of land will be converted into a mixed-used residential and retail community that connects the site with the rest of downtown and will include an emphasis on walkability and bike access.
  
  
• KCDC also is involved with the St. Mary’s Hospital redevelopment in North Knoxville, including the approval in 2026 for up to 21 townhomes along Huron Street. Overall, the vision for the 30-acre property is a mixed-use community with elderly housing inside the historic hospital building, the new townhomes, additional multifamily housing, a public park and a dog park.
  
  

About Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation

Since 1936, KCDC has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Knoxville. KCDC’s mission is to collaborate with the Knoxville community to create and preserve housing opportunities and strengthen neighborhoods. For more information, visit kcdc.org.