Construction underway for 90 units of senior housing

A groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, marked the start of construction for Golden Age II apartments. Located just down the street from the existing Golden Age Retirement Village, this $31 million development at 1213 Beaman Lake Road will provide 86 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities.

The developer is LHP Capital LLC. The design is by MHM Architects of Knoxville.

Phil Lawson

Phil Lawson is founder and board chair of LHP Capital LLC. A certified public accountant, Lawson worked for the development firm Lawler Wood. He later developed a segment called Lawler Wood Housing, according to the company website. It 2015, that segment was rebranded as LHP LLC.

Attendees included Mayor Indya Kincannon, the Rev. Harold Middlebrook Sr., of Canaan Baptist Housing Corporation, and financial partners including HUD, THDA, First Horizon Bank and Walker & Dunlop.

Rent & Amenities

Rent will be set at 30% of the resident’s adjusted income via project-based vouchers from KCDC.

The first floor will have a leasing office, a furnished lobby and a business center with free computers and printers.

There will be an office for a coordinator to link residents to community services, answer questions, and facilitate wellness and education programs. Monitored emergency pendants will be available for residents.

Financing

City of Knoxville Support: A 20-year PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) and $2.1 million in Affordable Rental Development and HOME funds.

Tax Credits: Approximately $15.6 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) through First Horizon Community Investment Group.

Private Financing: A $7.6 million HUD-insured mortgage originated by Walker & Dunlop and a $6 million bridge loan from First Horizon Bank.

Amy Styles contributed information and quotes for this report.

Summit Medical Group names Brad Rogers as CEO; Ed Curtis retires

Knoxville-based Summit Medical Group (SMG), an independent, physician-owned medical group, has named Brad Rogers as chief executive officer of the organization.

Ed Curtis

The leadership transition is precipitated by the retirement of SMG CEO Ed Curtis, who has served in the top executive role for a decade. He joined SMG in 2014 first as chief operating officer and then served as chief administrative officer. During Curtis’ 10 years as CEO, SMG increased from 54 to 99 locations and 359 providers to 529 providers with a geographic footprint growing from 12 Tennessee counties to 23.

“The board, partners, staff and providers of Summit Medical Group thank Ed for his years of service and leadership,” said Summit Medical Group board chair Bhavana Vora M.D. “With his vision and diligence, Summit has grown not just in numbers but also in services – including pediatrics, ophthalmology and optometry, urgent care, additional diagnostic screenings and more – as well as in impact.”

“It has been an honor to serve alongside the outstanding providers and staff of Summit Medical Group,” Curtis said. “I’m proud of the ongoing impact this organization has on the health and wellness of our communities, and I’m confident it will continue to serve as a healthcare leader, delivering high-quality primary care for individuals and families across all stages of life.”

Brad Rogers

Brad Rogers was selected from a national search led by the SMG board of directors with search firm partner Coker Group. He will start as start as SMG CEO on June 22, 2026.

As vice president and COO of Valley Health Medical Group in Winchester, Virginia, Rogers oversees 85 clinic locations, 375 providers and approximately 1,000 employees across Virginia and West Virginia. He also serves as a member of the executive leadership team for Valley Health System, a nationally recognized Premier Inc. Top 15 Health System, which includes six hospitals and a large employed medical group.

“Throughout the selection process, Brad demonstrated strong strategic thinking, sound operational and financial judgment and a commitment to continuing Summit’s long-term growth as a physician-owned and governed organization,” Dr. Vora said. “We were further impressed with his proven ability to collaborate with physician and executive leaders to align clinical operations and system strategy, delivering measurable improvements in access, workforce engagement, patient experience and financial performance.

“Brad will support Summit’s critical work with an eye toward the future in the ever-changing landscape of both the regulatory and healthcare industry and medical innovation.”

Prior to joining Valley Health in 2021, Rogers served in senior leadership roles with Lexington Medical Center in South Carolina, UCLA Health in Los Angeles and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He began his healthcare career at BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina within its Medicare contractor business.

Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree from Emmanuel College in Georgia and a master’s in health care administration from Saint Louis University in Missouri.

As he transitions into his role, Rogers will relocate to the Knoxville area along with his wife and daughter. In his free time, Rogers enjoys travel, hiking, gardening and the arts, and he also is actively involved in healthcare leadership, mentorship and nonprofit board service. He is looking forward to getting to know his new community in East Tennessee.

Lauren Miller provided information and quotes for this report.

Notes & Quotes

Willow Place Phase III will officially open on Wednesday, June 1, 2026, at 10 a.m., marking completion of 30 apartment homes for seniors in the heart of Karns. Neighbors and area leaders are invited. RSVP to Becca Brado at rbrado@homesourcetn.org if you can attend.

North Knoxville Business & Professional Association will meet at noon on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Saint John’s Lutheran Church, 544 N. Broadway, at 8 a.m. A free breakfast, sponsored by East TN Heat & Air, will start at 7:45. Representatives from Centro Hispanol will speak.

Beaver Creek Flotilla is Saturday, May 30, 2026, launching at 9:30 a.m. at Powell High Landing, adjacent to the PHS baseball field on Brickyard Road. Info and registration here.

Quote: His style of writing was called hard-boiled and it contained almost no extraneous detail. In one story, he described a woman by writing, “Her eyes were blue, her mouth red, her teeth white, and she had a nose. Without getting steamed up over the details, she was nice.” – Dashiell Hammett, writer of film noir and creator of detective Sam Spade.

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