By Nyah Jackson
Eighty-two new town homes will soon exist on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, changing the landscape as drivers head toward Main Street.
Dogwood Estates is already under construction, with some slabs poured, and at least seven units sold, according to Lori Combs, sales office manager for the Atlanta-Chattanooga division of Smith Douglas Homes, the company building the development.
The community will include three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath, two-car-garage townhomes with four different floor plans. Apartments will feature upstairs bedrooms and nine-foot ceilings on both levels. Prices range from $295,900 to $349,990.
Combs said the builder chose the Ooltewah Ringgold Road location because of the demand for more affordable housing in the vicinity.
“The location was very favorable, and there seemed to be a target market for that type of housing in that area at that price range,” she said. “So, we felt we were providing a service to the people in the area.”
Among those purchasing the townhomes are parents with children at Southern Adventist University, according to Combs, as well as local workers.
“We have sold to at least one or two parents who have bought for their children to live in,” said Combs, who expects the first move-ins to begin in about three to four months. “And then there was an alumni that reached out to me. He and his friends bought a unit. So that’s three sales right there.”
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Tanya Vu, owner of the Allstate agency on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, not far from the Dogwood Estates location, moved to Collegedale from Orange County, California, along with her husband, in 2023. In an interview with the Accent, Vu shared her feelings about Dogwood Estates and other housing projects springing up in the community.
"I love all the new development,” she said, expressing her belief that residential units will attract more businesses to the area. "I think we need more commerce in this area, especially on Main Street. That's how we bring money into the city. "
Despite Vu’s enthusiasm, the Dogwood development does raise some concerns, according to her and others who work in the area. Main Street is a narrow road with occasional traffic jams due to a railroad crossing. When asked about the concern, Jason Allin, Collegedale staff planner, said the roadway is managed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and outside of the city’s control. The Collegedale Commission approved rezoning for the project from agricultural to residential townhomes, allowing the project to move forward..
The city also recently approved rezoning for La Collina Way, another townhouse development, which is slated to bring another 50 units to the Collegedale community.
“Because that's what's selling, that's what's cheap,” Allin said of the projects. “That's kind of what, I guess, my generation wants right now — easy maintenance and something they can afford.”
