Workers from Masstar Signs of Greenville, S.C., install a new shopping center pylon sign at South Illinois Avenue and East Tulsa Road that announces Main Street Oak Ridge, the planned $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. Pictured above on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, is Will Biggs of Masstar Signs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 4:57 p.m.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, T.J. Maxx, and Ulta will have new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge, Mayor Warren Gooch said Tuesday.
Also, Belk and JCPenney are renewing their leases at the 58-acre site, Gooch said during a State of the City speech to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.
“Negotiations with other major retailers are ongoing,” Gooch said.
The mayor got an update from Neil Wilson of RealtyLink, which took over as master developer in September, on Monday. Wilson told Gooch that RealtyLink has come to terms with both its senior construction lender and the tax increment financing construction lender.
“We are closer to the closing on the sale of the mall property and the start of construction,” Gooch said.
He called the successful development of Main Street Oak Ridge the number one priority for the city. The project would redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.
“It is moving forward,” Gooch said.
The mall is now mostly empty, but Belk and JCPenney remain. The two anchor stores would stay, and the enclosed space between them would be demolished as part of the redevelopment, which calls for a mix of retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel.
Image by RealtyLink. In the map shown above, officials can only confirm the planned location at Main Street Oak Ridge of Dick’s Sporting Goods, T.J. Maxx, PetSmart, and Ulta. The tenants listed in the site plan haven’t been updated to reflect the current tenants. Rely only on the tenants announced Tuesday, officials said. That includes JCPenney and Belk, who are both renewing their leases.
See a larger version of the site leasing map here: TN-Oak-Ridge-Rutgers-logos-leasing2.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Joseph Lee says
This is good news for Oak Ridge. I wish them all well.
Philip W Nipper says
Dick’s? Are you kidding me? Why not Academy Sports and Outdoors? Just thought I would be the first to grip and complain about one of the best things to happen in Oak Ridge since the original Downtown was built. Are you kidding me? Dick’s Sporting Goods is great. Glad they are coming to Oak Ridge!
Jeanne Hicks Powers says
Hopefully the deal will CLOSE (as it has not as per Gooch) and the city can move forward and be done with this debate…
Philip W Nipper says
Not sure of your meaning. Why would you want such an important aspect of our retail future and increased sales tax revenues in Oak Ridge to fail before it has begun?
Jeanne Hicks Powers says
Not sure how you got that endpoint form my post or the article! This deal has not “closed” as per Gooch i.e. it’s not a done deal yet! I can’t wait to have more going on in OR, but let’s be real here…. the papers have not been signed in any real , tangible way. Any celebration now is premature! Eyes need to be open….
Philip W Nipper says
Sorry, I misread your comment. I think the sale of the property will indeed close very soon and the demolishing of the unwanted spaces will get underway.
Jason Brown says
This design looks convoluted and not at all pedestrian friendly. They are putting buildings where the parking lot is now and parking lots where the building is now. This makes no sense. Why can’t they use the same basic design footprint as the former downtown shopping center?…and they do realize Ryan’s and Ruby Tuesday are long out of business, right?
Joseph Lee says
Mr. Brown, this plan has been in the works for a very long time. It has gone through many revisions and changes over the past few years. I feel certain that there will be more revisions before its all said and done. Meanwhile, please do not lose site of the fact that this is private property and they can and will do whatever they want to do up to and including nothing. The Downtown Shopping Center is, unfortunately, gone for good thanks to the Mall Wars. Please make a note of that and support these new businesses once they open. Thank you.
Philip W Nipper says
I wonder where the new Senior Center will be? I did not see it identified on the map. Next to Ryan’s would be a good place……dig? Or rather dig in!
Joseph Lee says
THAT’S COLD !!!
Jeanne Hicks Powers says
I had heard this from a Belk’s employee/ manager in early March. I think many of us need to SEE it happen, at this point! In the “inside circle”, this “news” is really old news! Gooch did not state that the sale had “closed”….. and that is the bottom line. BTW… Sports Authority just declared bankruptcy!
Nikki F says
We really don’t need a PetSmart across the street from a Pet Supplies Plus. We have a local small business in town that carries high quality dog/cat/bird/other food and they are struggling. We don’t need another corporate chain coming in and killing them off too. Oak Ridge Feed carries many of the higher end foods (so they are not competing as much with PSP) and are also happy to do special orders. They offer grooming and really get to know their customers and their needs. They really know their products as well. There is barely enough room in town for the two of these businesses to coexist, and with the small local businesses already hurting the last thing we need is another big chain coming in.
Carol Donath says
That was the only store I question the need for since we do have a great small pet chain and they are very good, so I hope it doesn’t affect them too much.
Jennifer Shell says
Yes – that is the only store I questioned, too. I, personally, will continue to use PSP for my (admittedly limited) pet supply needs. PSP has been too good to our animal (and human) community. Personally, though, after so much time of NOTHING happening, I’m hesitant to really worry too much about it until I see the physical evidence of progress. I’m excited that they’re taking steps to better the city center and really looking forward to what it will do for Oak Ridge…but I’m skeptical. I want to see it first.
Mike Mahathy says
I agree we need to see it but this is a big announcement but we will always have doubters and negative people. They just can’t help themselves.
Since we have positive news it’s probably about time for someone or ones to throw water on this. I hope not but the past is a good indicator.
Jeanne Hicks Powers says
…… and you have lived here long enough to…… ?!
Jeanne Hicks Powers says
Seeing IS believing….. 12 years in….. Peace Out…
David Burns says
The natives are growing restless after almost 2 decades (can you blame them?)….so what can we do?….Let’s put up a big shiny new sign!…..Shouldn’t we put up all the signs at one time?…..No, let’s just put up one sign for now (to show progress)….(Several weeks go by and no sale is closed)….so what can we do now?……Let’s announce some stores that have said they’d locate here if we build it…..yeah, that’s a good one…..let’s do that….(what will the next chapter in this saga be???)
Sam Hopwood says
It could not have been said much better.
Matt Bailey says
Actually Jane Miller said it a heck of a lot better. In 3 sentences.
Dave Smith says
I noticed that on the larger version of the site leasing map there are three additional retailers not mentioned by Mr. Gooch or otherwise named in this article. Next to Ulta are rue21, Rack Room Shoes, and a store whose logo I could not discern. There was also a Home2 Suites by Hilton on the north end, adjacent to BoA.
Have these companies signed lease agreements?
johnhuotari says
Hi, Dave. Here’s the note I included in the caption for that image:
In the map shown above, officials can only confirm the planned location at Main Street Oak Ridge of Dick’s Sporting Goods, T.J. Maxx, PetSmart, and Ulta. The tenants listed in the site plan haven’t been updated to reflect the current tenants. Rely only on the tenants announced Tuesday, officials said. That includes JCPenney and Belk, who are both renewing their leases.
I hope that helps.
Thank you,
John
Dave Smith says
I guess I neglected to read the caption. Your comment and caption do answer my question.