VCEDA, Scott County EDA close on $100,000 Riverside grant

WEBER CITY – More details have emerged on a $100,000 site development grant for the Riverside project in Scott County.The Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Scott County Economic Development Authority on Nov. 5 closed on the grant, which was announced in September.The Riverside development was announced in March as a planned 100-acre housing and light commercial development on land surrounding the former TeleTech call center.The EDA bought what had been known as the Riverside property in December 2010 with a $2.02 million loan from VCEDA.In 2015, the TeleTech building – now housing Church on the Way under a lease agreement with EDA -, housed the company until 2020 , when the company shifted to a remote workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, VCEDA agreed to the Scott County EDA's proposal to convert the Riverside Project to a mixed-use developmentThe EDA with Knoxville-based Solinity announced the memorandum of understanding in March for a phased development of 100 acres bordered by U.S. Route 23 and the Holston River North Fork. At that time, Solinity CEO Joshua Crisp said the development aimed for a multigenerational community including senior and non-age restricted housing."The EDA engaged a firm to design a master plan for the mixed-use development that would create lasting jobs, diversify housing and improve quality of life," said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. "Riverside has now been branded by the EDA as a mixed-use town center concept that will include workforce housing as the centerpiece, ensuring attainable living options for citizens including teachers, healthcare workers, public employees and service-sector professionals, according to the EDA's application for funding."Additional residential offerings will include single-family homes, condominiums, apartments and waterfront homes. Senior living and memory care facilities to serve an aging population are also planned in the future for the site, as well as community-serving assets including a day care center, church and grocery store. Other commercial development in the plan includes retail, medical office and hospitality facilities."The project positions Scott County to capture growth in both the regional housing market and essential service sectors," said EDA Executive Director John Kilgore. "The inclusion of workforce housing ensures the area can attract and retain critical labor – a necessity for supporting local employers, healthcare providers and schools."By pairing residential development with services and amenities, Riverside is designed as a self-sustaining community that allows for continued economic development and increases local spending," Kilgore added.The VCEDA grant will assist with site readiness, engineering, infrastructure planning, utility coordination and construction and other pre-development activities for the actual workforce housing construction.