In an article the News Sentinel posted online yesterday, Jon Lawler stated he had no relationship to Wood Brothers, the company awarded the construction contract involving $2 million in taxpayer money on Minvilla, the former 5th Avenue Motel on Broadway.

"My connection to Wood Brothers does not exist," Jon Lawler said in the News Sentinel story.

The Sentinel reported that "Wood Brothers was founded by brothers Jerry, Mike and Pat Wood. Pat Wood later founded Lawler-Wood with Jon Lawler's father, Rodney Lawler."

The News Sentinel is incorrect, according to Jerry Wood’s obituary.

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In addition to Pat Wood, Jerry Wood was also a founder of Lawler Wood LLC, He passed away in 2007.

Jerry Houston Wood, Sr. a native of Knoxville, passed away Tuesday October 30, 2007 after a lengthy illness. He was a graduate of Young High School and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He served in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant. He was a member of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd where he served on the Vestry, and also served on the Vestry of St. James Episcopal Church where he grew up. He was a founding member of Wood Brothers Construction, Wood Realty, and Lawler-Wood LLC. He was a member of the Home Builders Association of Greater Knoxville, Home Builders Association of Tennessee, and served over 20 years as an elected National Director of the National Association of Home Builders. In October of 2000 he was inducted into the Building Industry of Tennessee Hall of Fame. He served as a member of the Alcoaway Optimist Club, serving as President of the organization in 1976. He had also served as chairman of the Alcoaway Athletic Association, a community group working with the children of the area. Wood coached little league football and baseball. He had been a Commissioner of Knox Chapman Utility District for over 25 years, serving at one point as Treasurer for the District. He served as an honorary member of the Codes Committee for the City of Knoxville, and was a member of the Fraternal Order of Elks, Better Business Bureau, The UT Alumni Association, and a past member of Knoxville Junior Chamber of Commerce.

source: Berry Funeral Home, captured 10:17 pm, April 2, 2009.

As reported here previously, Lawler has made campaign contributions as both a partner and an executive of Lawler Wood, LLC, directly linking him as a partner in Lawler Wood LLC to Wood brothers Pat and Jerry Wood, each founders of the firm along with Lawler's father, Rodney.

Lawler may be able to claim he is not a partner in Wood Brothers Construction, but he is incorrect in stating he has "no connection" to the Wood brothers. He has been a partner and executive in a firm founded by both brothers while he has also been director of Knoxville’s Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, according to campaign contribution filings.

About Lawler Wood LLC (from their web site):

Today, Lawler-Wood has more than 300 employees and more than $2 billion in projects. Our focus is development and management for business/commerce, education, health care and recreation/leisure, with an additional emphasis on affordable community housing through our sister company, Lawler-Wood Housing.

About Lawler Wood Housing, LLC (from their web site)

Lawler Wood Housing, LLC has developed more than 50 residential properties including new construction and acquisition/rehab. Over our 30 year history in the housing industry, we have tried to maintain the highest level of integrity and have emphasized the importance of quality in our development and management activities. In recent years, the majority of our projects have involved the acquisition and rehabilitation of existing apartment complexes using tax-exempt bonds and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.

Lawler Wood Housing LLC, while claiming a 30-year history, was only incorporated on July 28, 2004.

To recap:

• Jon Lawler, the director of Knoxville’s Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness has strong ties to the construction company awarded an unadvertised contract to redevelop Minvilla.
• The construction company stood to profit from this contract.
• A company with which he has had a long association is one of the largest low-income housing developers in the country with a $2 billion portfolio, creating potential conflicts between his city position and his continuing relationship with his firm.
• A variety of for-profit companies are being set up for the sole purpose of allowing unqualified nonprofits to take advantage of tax credits. For example: "Minvilla Manor will be owned by Minvilla Manor, LP, which is owned and controlled, ultimately, by VMC. The for-profit ownership entity allows the project to utilize low-income tax credits. A professional real estate management company hired by VMC will manage the asset. VMC will operate the facility, providing case management and other client services." source: TYP web site.

Editorial Note:
I am personally puzzled by why a project such as Minvilla has been so strongly pushed by the city and the Ten Year Plan office when, at over $200 per square foot and $7 million for only 57 units, the project has never made sense financially.

It is time for the Knoxville media to wake up and follow the money--not only for the construction phase of the project, but also to follow to whom and how the management contracts will be awarded on Minvilla and other permanent supportive housing projects.

It is also time for the decisionmakers—Mayor Bill Haslam, Knoxville Community Development Director Madeline Rogero, and members of City Council to no longer turn a blind eye and let such an egregious waste of resources occur while there are homeless truly in need of housing. There are tent cities for newly homeless people going up across the country, including in Chattanooga, while Knoxville fiddles with such a wasteful project. We no longer have the time to waste so much time and money on housing so few chronically homeless.

Clarification: Based on a quote in the News Sentinel article, I called Madeline Rogero today to ask a few follow-up questions. She asked that I clarify the difference between "no-bid" and non-advertised. I told her I would be happy to comply, as soon as I received documentation as to how Southeastern Housing Foundation, the Ten Year Plan Office, and Allan Architects conducted their contract award to Wood Brothers Construction. She mentioned that Allan Architects had had a fire. She added that her office was not involved in the award of the construction contract but that due to the NSP federal funds that are now involved, this raised the standard for the bidding process on the construction contract.