Developers seek to bring more housing to downtown Gatlinburg
GATLINGBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — More housing could be on the horizon in downtown Gatlinburg as developers seek to create more homes for people in the area.
Mountain Brook Apartments, a complex just off the Parkway, recently added 10 new townhomes to their lot and hope to create more affordable housing for people who live and work in the area.
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'The rental rates in this area are pretty much capped, most people can't afford higher rents than we're offering right now, and as a result we're having to try to come up with construction ideas that that work,' said Mountain Brook Apartments co-owner Joe Lelonek.
When building the complex, Lelonek said they were able to keep rent to an affordable price, either at or below the average market value, as part of the PILOT, or 'Payment in Lieu of Taxes' program through the city.
'You need to have more and more places for people to live, more homes, more apartments, more townhomes. So I think from my standpoint, it's one of the most important things that has to happen in this town,' said Lelonek.
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He said most employees downtown typically commute up to an hour away, and he hopes by bringing more housing, people can start calling Gatlinburg home. At their apartments now, property manager Joy Grzelak said that's already happening.
'Most are going to be your families that work on the strip. So all of your servers your bartenders, but we've got people that have moved here to retire,' said Grzelak. 'They just want to be in these Smoky Mountains, and this gives them just a great environment to wake up to every day.'
Lelonek added that by bringing more housing to people who work here, the local economy will benefit as well. He also said they hope to develop more in the future.
'Any way we can come up with an idea and try to make it happen, we will do that. Because I think it's gravely important to have housing in Gatlinburg to support It's businesses,' he said.
READ: More top stories on WATE.com
Mountain Brook Apartments is currently leasing the new, two-bedroom townhomes, for around $1,600-$1,700 month, they also have one- bedroom units starting around $1,300 a month.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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