Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 17, 2010
Urban Renaissance Group bringing blend of old, new to Cherry Street
David Laprad
In 2008, Dale Mabee, Don Moon and Mike Moon formed a partnership called Urban Renaissance Group in order to participate in Chattanooga’s downtown revitalization. The initial focus of their participation in the renewal of Scenic City is the new $15 million Walnut Hill Townhomes development, located on Cherry Street.
- David Laprad
Although Dale Mabee, Don Moon and Mike Moon were known individually for their quality suburban real estate developments, in 2008, the three men formed a new partnership called Urban Renaissance Group in order to participate in Chattanooga’s downtown revitalization. The initial focus of their participation in the renewal of the Scenic City is the new $15 million Walnut Hill Townhomes development, located on Cherry Street. Mabee, also owner of Cornerstone Realty Group, says the three men wanted their first downtown development as a partnership to be a distinctive and positive contribution to the area.
“We gave considerable attention to the design of Walnut Hill Townhomes to ensure a unique blending of the traditions of Chattanooga’s glorious old neighborhoods with the best aspects of the city’s urban experience. We wanted the architecture to create a sense of place in the neighborhood.
“One of the means by which we accomplished this blending of traditions was through attention to detail. This included incorporating Southern-style porches, ornamental railings, stately columns and limestone foundations while also offering the best amenities of modern day living,” he says.
Urban Renaissance has already completed, and nearly sold out, phase one of the project, which included the construction of six townhomes. The only unit still available is a three-story, four-bedroom townhouse with an elevator and a finished carriage house Cornerstone is listing for a cool $950,000. Construction on phase two is underway, with additional phases in the planning stages.
“We built phase one, and had a good response, so we started construction on phase two. Considering the poor state of the economy, we’ve done well. I think that’s due to the fact that we have a unique product. We’re the only upper end townhome development in the downtown area. There are a lot of condominiums, but we’re the only high end townhome,” Mabee says.
While the units that make up Walnut Hill Townhomes are attached to each other, Mabee says they offer several benefits over condominiums.
“You don’t park in a massive parking garage, like you would in a communal development, and you don’t have to take an elevator up 14 stories to where you live.
“Also, each of our townhomes has an attached carriage house, a two-car enclosed garage and a private courtyard. There’s no one living on top of you, and you own the land on which your townhome sits.”
Walnut Hill Townhomes is also within walking distance of several restaurants, culture centers such as the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Bluff View Art District and the Downtown Chattanooga Riverwalk.
Mabee says it was important to him and his partners that the construction of Walnut Hill Townhomes have a minimal impact on the development’s surroundings, as they have collective respect for the environment. Their building practices demonstrated this desire, as they incorporated numerous green initiatives into the construction of the townhomes and the development.
“We put considerable effort
into saving the existing street-scape trees during construction. We also used bioretention techniques to limit storm run off and recycled the existing asphalt on the parking lot in the site before development began.
“Additionally, we incorporated environmental and quality measures into the construction of the townhomes. Some of these measures include pre-engineered wood products, which produce less waste while affording owners the highest quality materials; metal wall framing, also utilized for quality and waste purposes; and insulation techniques that exceed Energy Star and EarthCraft standards. The installation of a number of water saving features are standard in all of the townhomes,” Mabee says.
Mabee, Don Moon and Mike Moon put more than 90 years of experience and construction work into Walnut Hill Townhomes. In addition to their experience, all of the partners have long track records of participation in the industry’s professional organizations. All have served as president of the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee and currently serve on its board of directors. Additionally, they have all served in various capacities in the industry’s state and national organizations, and have received numerous recognitions, including Builder of the Year and Developers of the Year.
Both Don Moon and Mike Moon hold Graduate Master Builder designations from the Home Builder Institute of the National Home Builders Association. In addition, Mabee and Mike Moon hold Certified Green Builders Professional designations from the University of Housing of the National Home Builders Association. And Mike Moon holds an Aging in Place designation from the National Home Builders Association.
Don Moon has a bachelor’s degree in management and accounting from Rollins College, Mike Moon has a bachelor’s degree in real estate finance from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Mabee has a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Lastly, Don Moon and Mabee have served on the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission for several years. Mike Moon is currently serving on the board of directors for Cornerstone, an advocate for historic preservation in Hamilton County.
The specifications of the townhomes that make up phase two range from a two-story, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath unit listed for $625,000 to a three-story, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath unit with a three-story porch listed for $999,000. Mabee has pre-sold one unit.
For more information about Walnut Hill Townhomes, visit www.walnuttownhomes.com.
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