Readers ask about Main Street Oak Ridge site plan—see it here

 

Oak Ridge Today readers have asked about the site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. You can see it here.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a revised site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, July 28. It is pictured above.

Rutgers Avenue is the curved roadway partially visible at the bottom of the map above. The intersection of South Illinois and South Illinois avenues is at top left, with South Tulane Avenue curving across the top of the map. Wilson Street, which is now a private road but could become public after improvements are made, runs from top to bottom at right.

Belk is the building labeled C, and JCPenney is the building labeled G.

The first two stores to be built, T.J. Maxx and Dick’s Sporting Goods, possibly starting in October, are in Building A, close to where the former Sears department store used to be.

Buildings I and J are notable additions to the site plan, Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin told planning commissioners last Thursday.

Building D will be a small shop area, and Building K will be a small shop, Baldwin said.

The main access will be on Rutgers Avenue, at the bottom of the map, where a traffic signal will be installed. There is a roundabout pictured near Building I.

L, pictured at upper left, is a detention pond, but plans call for it to be moved. That corner lot is prime commercial real estate.

The Planning Commission approved the revised site plan, which has a line of demarcation almost in the middle, on a unanimous voice vote on Thursday, with the inclusion of city staff comments.

Besides T.J. Maxx and Dick’s Sportings Goods, other stores announced at Main Street Oak Ridge include Electronic Express, Maurice’s, PetSmart, Rack Room, Rue 21, and Ulta.

Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, the Main Street Oak Ridge developer, has said Maurice’s, Rack Room, Rue 21, and Ulta would be adjacent to Belk, and Electronic Express and PetSmart will be located on the JCPenney side of the property.

Main Street Oak Ridge is a mixed-use development that could include retailers, restaurants, service companies, residential units, and possibly a hotel.

The enclosed space between Belk and JCPenney, the two remaining anchor stores, will be demolished as part of the redevelopment. Demolition of the former Sears store started Tuesday, July 26.

Construction of new stores that are expected to open in the spring of 2017 could start in October near where Sears was. The work is part of the $46 million first all-retail phase of the project.

The second phase of the project, which is expected to cost about $75 million total, could include restaurants and residential units and maybe service companies like insurance agencies and dry cleaners.

Also Thursday, the Planning Commission unanimously approved an amended site plan for TownePlace Suites by Marriott, a four-story, 81-room hotel on 2.6 acres near the intersection of Wilson Street and Rutgers Avenue, close to JCPenney.

In addition, Planning Commission recommended rezoning one acre of land at Fox Auto Salvage on Melton Lake Drive. The business is shutting down, and it could be replaced by a company that leases heavy equipment.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

See previous Main Street Oak Ridge stories here.

 

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