Allenton Heights Demolition Sept. 5, 2025 Jackson, TN
Allenton Heights was demolished Sept. 5, 2025 in Jackson to make way for new buildings.
The City of Jackson’s oldest public housing complex, Allenton Heights, was demolished on Sept. 5.
Built in 1941, the historical Allenton Heights came crashing down to make way for a new and improved housing complex operated by Jackson Housing Authority.
JHA held a groundbreaking ceremony for one of the two new public housing complexes, The Blue Creek Apartments, on June 4.
The second housing facility, The Cottages at Blue Creek, will replace the Allenton Heights complex. Once construction is completed, the two complexes will have 112 units for low-income families.
Carna Watson says she lived in Allenton Heights for more than 25 years before moving out in the mid-90s.
She returned to the site for the final time to view the demolition and share fond memories of her time there. Growth, teamwork, and family were just some of the words she used to describe what life in Allenton Heights was like for her and her family.
“I’m excited about what’s to come, but I sure hate to see this live,” Watson said. “We used to have parties, community clean-ups, fundraisers, so we had a lot going on. We did a lot of community work just in this area every Saturday.”
Historical significance of Allenton Heights
Merry Lane Courts was the first public housing complex built in Jackson, once the Jackson Housing Authority was established in 1939.
Shortly after, Allenton Heights was built.
Due to the complexes being built during segregation, Merry Lane Courts was for Black families while Allenton Heights was for White families.
After a tornado in 2003 destroyed Merry Lane, Allenton Heights became the oldest public housing complex in Jackson.
In what JHA Executive Director Mark Reid described as a process several years in the making, the demolition of Allenton Heights is something to be remembered for those it served, while celebrating what’s to come.
“It’s a celebration, and we hate to see it go, but it came for good reasons and it’s moving for good reasons,” Reid said. “Today, the reason why I celebrate this moment is because people such as the Jackson Housing Authority, THDA, the City of Jackson, we all come together, hearts and minds move together, to do something, something good.”
New apartments to open mid-2026
At the groundbreaking in June, Reid shared that leasing at the Blue Creek apartments could begin as early as July 2026.
The $23 million project is funded through the Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s low-income housing tax credits program.
“This Blue Creek project here in Jackson is one of the first two in the state to qualify for that,” THDA Director Ralph Perry said at the groundbreaking. “So it lets us provide, in this case, over $23 million worth of equity into the deal to get these built, and they’ll remain affordable for decades. That’s just going to make a big difference for the families that get a safe, decent place to live.”
Sarah Best is a reporter for the Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing at jacksonsun.com.
