Closing a Chapter, Looking to the Future
Story by Mike Stevens | Home Photography by Bruce McCamish
A Neighborhood Vision Come to Fruition
It was about 16 years ago when a developer came to Knoxville with an idea: bring a residential neighborhood and town center steeped in new urbanism to the Marble City. I can still vividly remember that town meeting and the vision that was presented. Walkable neighborhoods with schools and storefronts close-by. Front porches for everyone, regular get-togethers, and a true sense of community among the residents. A place where you would truly know your neighbors.
These types of developments were popping up across the country at that time, but there was a lot of doubt about whether Knoxville was ready. I had a strong feeling, however, that we were. Northshore Town Center was about to become a reality, and Mike Stevens Homes would become an integral part of its creation.
Fast forward to today, and we are finishing up the final phase of the neighborhood, a bittersweet moment for us all at MSH, as we have spent the last decade and a half designing each and every home in the community. The project survived—and even thrived—through the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID pandemic, something we take great pride in. The community has become so much more than we could have ever imagined. Even though it’s been a fun and fulfilling journey, I am looking forward to just being everyone’s neighbor, instead of their builder, too.
Supporting Our Community
The concept of community rests at the forefront of what we do at Mike Stevens Homes, whether we’re working on a multi-million dollar home or a project for a local nonprofit. It’s a cornerstone of our work. And we have always believed that if you make a living in a community, you should give back to it. That’s what we strive to do for the Knox community.
Our team works yearly in partnership with the Sertoma Center to provide housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. This extraordinary organization helps fulfill the human desire to live a life of purpose and promise, providing opportunities for the people they serve to find satisfaction of a life well lived. We have built four new six-person duplexes and have converted four group homes to duplexes for residents there.
This year, we also worked with Cokesbury United Methodist Church and its ministry at Susannah’s House, an intensive outpatient recovery program for opioid-dependent mothers. The organization provides faith-based community, recovery assistance, and help with day-to-day life for these mothers who are working to break the addiction cycle. We just finished up a dormitory that will house eight mothers and their babies.
We feel blessed to be able to give back to our community just by doing what we do best. When we see new residents move into the homes we’ve built, it gives us a tremendous sense of joy and fulfillment to be part of a community-wide effort to provide homes to those in need. Each home we build is a unique realization of someone’s dream, and we are proud to be active members in our community’s realization of theirs.
Helping You Build Your Dream
As we look ahead to 2023, the Mike Stevens Homes family continues to grow and evolve. Our team continues to impress me with their talent, drive, and desire to give back. I’m especially proud of the new generation of leadership that has emerged within our company.
This group of individuals allows us to expand our footprint like never before while ensuring that the quality, comfort and attention to detail of our homes remains unparalleled.
We look forward to the new and exciting opportunities in store for Mike Stevens Homes as Knoxville’s finest design-build firm. And we look forward to working with you to help bring your dream home to fruition in the coming years.
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865-454-3106
9724 Kingston Pike – Suite 106, Knoxville
mikestevenshomes.com