“We’re very thankful to be here and very thankful to serve the community,” Shumate Development Corporation president John Shumate Sr. said.
Shumate said getting the project to this point has been a three-year process.
“It will be about six months before you see buildings totally going up in the air,” Shumate said. “We hope to be done in 12 months with the first phase.”
This first phase will be 180 units with 216 units in the second phase. When both phases are completed there will be nine three-story buildings on the 28-acre site.
There will be four styles of apartments built: one bedroom, one bathroom; two bedroom, one bathroom and two variations of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom style.
About 15 percent of the apartments are going to one-bedroom apartments, the rest will be have two bedrooms, according to Shumate.
“They fit in Cleveland very well,” said Steve Robinson, board chairman for the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce. “They have the same kind of values that we have down here ... their project, I think, from a Chamber perspective is going to be great for Cleveland. We are at the edge of fantastic growth, and I think they recognize that.”
Shumate said he became interested in building in Cleveland after Ray LaRue mentioned the property to him.
During the dedication, Shumate’s pastor, Frank Carl of Genoa Baptist Church in Ohio, prayed over the project, including a prayer for favorable weather. The pastor picked up a rock from the site, and took it with him as a reminder to pray for the project. He also prayed for the prospective tenants who would move into the apartments.
“This is a great city, a great growing area,” Shumate said.
Vice-president Jim Shumate will be overseeing the Cleveland project.
Cleveland City Councilman George Poe was present representing local government. The mayors of the city and county were unable to attend because of other commitments. Poe said the City Council was ready to work with the company in any way necessary.
