1015 East First Avenue
Back in 2018, Mayor Tony Aikens acquired a residential parcel of property at 1015 East First Ave. I say acquired because, according to the deed, Akins received the property by Quitclaim Deed, meaning he claims he paid nothing for the property. Shortly there after, as mayor, he had the property rezoned from residential to commercial.
June of 2020, Aikens just gave, Quitclaimed, the same property to then Lenoir City attorney Gregory Harrison, now Lenoir City judge. The property was remodeled to become the new Priority Ambulance Service headquarters. Priority Ambulance Service is contracted by Lenoir City, Loudon County and the city of Loudon to provide ambulance service for the county. So Priority was leasing/renting the building from Lenoir City attorney Gregory Harrison then, now Lenoir City judge.
On October 1, 2020, Gregory Harrison, Lenoir City judge formerly Lenoir City attorney, gave away, "Quitclaimed" the same property to Belle Investments/Travis Fuller of Blount County. This is the same Belle Investment/Travis Fuller that's doing the Belle West Pointe development on Hwy. 321 that got the big tax breaks and is the center of the current annexation lawsuit.
Last year, Travis Fuller, Belle Investment-Belle/West Pointe listed the ambulance property for sale for $780,000.00.
On January 9th, 2023, Belle Investment/Travis Fuller sold the ambulance property to STC Investment Group LLC out of Knoxville for $140,000.00, somewhat less than the previous asking price.
West Simpson Road Property
The map above shows a 5.3 acre of parcel of property Lenoir City mayor Tony Aikens bought back on 6/13/2019. According to deed records, he paid $125,000.00 for the property. I do have information that the mayor may have used questionable tactics to get the property, but that's another story.
On 9/14/2020, while Aikens still owned the property, the mayor presented the property to city council to receive a PILOT, Payment In Lieu Of Taxes, on the property. This is where the city gives a big property tax break to whomever the owner is when the property is developed. In this case, it's a 10 year tax break. The property was to become 80 apartments and if qualified for a PILOT, would have to be low to moderate income housing. In the council meeting when the PILOT was passed, Aikens told council members that he did in fact own the property and council still passed the PILOT.
On 4/10/2021, the mayor gave away, quit claimed, the property to Belle Investment Company/Travis Fuller. And yes, Belle Investment Company is the same developer city attorney, judge candidate, Greg Harrison, gave his Ambulance office property to and the same Belle Investment that's doing the Belle West Pointe development on Hwy. 321 that got the big tax breaks.
In summary, Aikens buys the property for 125k, gets the property rezoned and gets city council to give it a big tax break, of course the council does whatever Tony tells them to do. Then Tony quit claims (gives the property to) Blount County developer, Belle Investment/Travis Fuller.
On January 9th, 2023, Belle Investment/Travis Fuller, quit claimed the 5.3 acre property to City View LC LLC.
Belle West Point Development
Back in December, mayor Tony Aikens announced at the city council meeting that Travis Fuller/Belle Investment Company/Belle West Point Inc. has decided not to take the massive 20 year tax breaks/incentives for the Belle West Pointe. Aikens gave no explanation as to why the developer decided to reject the incentives.
I have also received information that Belle Investment/Travis Fuller is no longer involved with or associate with the Belle West Pointe development on Hwy. 321 that got the big tax breaks and is at the center of the current annexation lawsuit.
So Belle Investment/Travis Fuller/Belle West Pointe has apparently sold, quit claimed or walked away from all his property investments in Lenoir City just since the illegal annexation issue came up. I have no idea if one has anything to do with the other.
I guess mayor Tony Aikens has lost his new best friend.