Six employers pledge $500,000 for Main Street Oak Ridge infrastructure

Six Oak Ridge employers have pledged $500,000 to support public infrastructure at Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

Officials said it shows unprecedented community support for the project.

The six companies are Methodist Medical Center; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor; Restoration Services Inc., a cleanup contractor; Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates Y-12 National Security Complex; and UT-Battelle, which operates and manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“All Oak Ridgers realize the successful development of the Main Street town center project is of critical importance not only to the citizens of the City of Oak Ridge and the business community but to the region in general,” Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said. “We appreciate these great corporate citizens stepping up the plate to help make Main Street Oak Ridge a reality.”

Project executives said critical final decisions are being made on the ramp-up to the project.

The relocation and reconstruction of public infrastructure such as Wilson Street and the two Main Streets are key elements of the project and the Oak Ridge City Council and the Industrial Development Board have pledged $1.5 million toward these improvements. According to the city’s consultants, costs will exceed this amount, so the corporate pledges are a welcomed addition to the development’s financial backing, a press release said.

“As far as I can determine, such a pledge from private entities to back public infrastructure investments has never happened before,” said Crosland Southeast partner Tim Sittema. Crosland is the company managing the Main Street Oak Ridge development.

“This is a remarkable project in a remarkable community,” Sittema said. “As we get closer and closer to groundbreaking, the teamwork of everyone involved is something we’ve never experienced before.”

Pledge agreements from each of the six companies have been sent to the chairman of the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board and will be presented at the IDB meeting on Monday, July 6. The IDB meets at 4 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Training Room.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will also consider Main Street Oak Ridge during a work session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9. A project site plan has been submitted and so has a preliminary subdivision plat for East Main, West Main, and Wilson streets.

Also this week, Oak Ridge Today learned that Crosland Southeast is working on pre-demolition activities and reviewing bids for the project.

For more information about Crosland Southeast, visit www.CroslandSoutheast.com.

See newer story with more information about the contribution and the plans for the mall here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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