Kingsport BMA hears latest on Create Appalachia, NETWORKS

KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen heard updates on economic development and Create Appalachia during Monday's work session. Create Appalachia President Davin Brown shared some of the recent initiatives and activities involving the organization, as well as changes. He shared how during 2024-25, Create Appalachia had a $3.14 million impact on Northeast Tennessee with limited resources. Brown said Create Appalachia's outreach spans from youth programs to adult programs helping prepare individuals to be part of the local creative economy and build a pipeline of potential digital workers. Kingsport Mayor Paul Montgomery asked about the Create Appalachia Board of Directors. Brown said the board has been downsized from its original 12 members now to seven, with the board consisting of Brown, Barbara Raymond, Jonathan Purdie, Jon Luttrell, Sam Barnett, Sarah Stewart, Alexandra Veatch and Connor Peoples. According to Brown, Create Appalachia's lease for the old Kingsport city hall building ends in February and they have spent " a lot of time" building relationships and looking for a new home. "There's also other regions that have shown interest in Create Appalachia," he said. "But for us to go to those other regions to acquire some of those locations, it may take one to two years for those buildings to be available for us. That includes Bristol as well as Johnson City, but we want to be here [in Kingsport]." KEDB, NETWORKS Kingsport Economic Development Board Chair Craig Denison and NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership CEO Clay Walker also provided more information about what their groups have been working on over the past several months. Denison said work on the dental school, known as the Kingsport Dental Clinic of the Appalachian Highlands, continues into phase two — with the master plan done and interior demolition complete. He mentioned the city and project partners will be looking to execute a construction contract for that buildout next month. "The University of Tennessee, ETSU, Northeast State, Delta Dental, Eastman and others that have contributed to that have really gotten that [project] pushed down the road much faster, which is fantastic for us in getting that facility transitioned," he said. Alderman James Phillips asked what is needed to finish phase two of the dental school. City Manager Chris McCartt said the conceptual design for phase two is done and the general estimate has been put together. The next step is to refine those planes and move into construction design. He said the second phase work is anticipated to begin this quarter and wrap up sometime in the first quarter of 2027, at an estimated $6.5 million project cost. For phase two, McCartt said he realistically expects the work to be done by the first quarter of 2028. "That'll put a brand new roof on the facility, it will go in and add about roughly 20 additional operatories," he said. "We'll be able to expand the number of dental students, hygienist students, and assistants that will be able to come in, thus expanding the number of individuals we can treat." Projects Walker said NETWORKS is gearing up for its annual Red Carpet Tour next week, which gives site consultants the chance to see what Northeast Tennessee has to offer for future business development. For prospective projects, he mentioned Project Rocks is "still active" at Phipps Bend Industrial Park. "The next month is vital to that project, either going or not going," Walker shared. "We've been working back for, we're getting ready to close in on our four-year anniversary, so we're down to brass tacks on that." He said Project Inlet is at a "crucial time" for determining some issues with the needed ingress and egresses at the Airport Parkway site. The Times News previously reported the Kingsport Regional Planning Commission approved the project's master plan at its July 16 meeting. The project involves property purchased from KEDB in 2024 for $697,000. Walker told KEDB at the August meeting that Project Inlet would bring a total of 200 jobs and "a very nice investment." "We feel very good about the project," he remarked. "No projects are done until they're done, but it is soon to be a big lift and a really a community-changing type of project that we're very hopeful of and excited about."