Oak Ridge Today

Planning Commission to consider Main Street apartments, plan revisions

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Drawings that could be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, depict the apartments, tentatively named Main Street Apartments, that could be built on the northern part of the former American Museum of Science and Energy property on South Tulane Avenue.

Drawings that could be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, depict the apartments, tentatively named Main Street Apartments, that could be built on the northern part of the former American Museum of Science and Energy property on South Tulane Avenue.

 

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday will consider possible changes to the plan for the next phase of Main Street Oak Ridge and a plan for apartments proposed on the northern part of the former American Museum of Science and Energy property on South Tulane Avenue.

The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. You can see the agenda here.

Oak Ridge Today has previously covered discussions of both projects. You can see our last story on the Planning Commission discussion of Main Street Oak Ridge here and Main Street Apartments here. [Read more…]

Reminder: Planning Commission, City Council meet to discuss Main Street, Phase 2

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The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A reminder: Oak Ridge officials will meet this evening to discuss proposed revisions to the plan for the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

It will be a joint work session between the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and Oak Ridge City Council. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, November 8) in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.

City officials hope to make progress and help produce a good plan, although they don’t expect to vote on anything today.

Oak Ridge officials have had concerns about the proposed revisions to the master plan for Main Street as the developer, RealtyLink, prepares to welcome a second wave of tenants. The Planning Commission postponed a vote on the revised master plan and requested today’s work session during a meeting on Thursday, October 18. [Read more…]

Main Street photos: Burkes Outlet under construction

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Construction work is under way at burkes outlets, a new store at Main Street Oak Ridge. Burkes will be next to Electronic Express, and the work is pictured above on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Construction work is under way at Burkes Outlet, a new store at Main Street Oak Ridge. Burkes will be next to Electronic Express, and the work is pictured above on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction is under way at Burkes Outlet, a new store at Main Street Oak Ridge. Here are photos of the construction on Tuesday, November 6.

Main Street Oak Ridge is the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. You can see the site plan here.

Burkes Outlet describes itself as a chain store where you can find name-brand products and fashions at a discount, and they sell women’s clothing, men’s clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, bed and bath, and home and beauty products. [Read more…]

Housing: Apartments proposed on former AMSE site

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The main parking lot and main entrance to the former American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue is pictured above on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The main parking lot and main entrance to the former American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue is pictured above on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Apartments could be built on the former American Museum of Science and Energy site on South Tulane Avenue.

The apartment complex could include 217 units in seven three-story buildings on the 10-acre site. They would be built where the former AMSE building and its big parking lot are now. AMSE has moved across the street to Main Street Oak Ridge, the roughly 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The apartment developer, Legacy Capital of Knoxville, anticipates that construction could begin at the site in the late spring or early summer of next year and last about 18 months, said company president Daniel Smith.

Smith and Mark Bialik, owner of GBS Engineering of Knoxville, presented information on the $25 million to $30 million project to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission during a Monday evening work session. They plan to present what is known as a planned unit development for the project to the Planning Commission this month. [Read more…]

Pierce Physical Therapy has Open House on Monday

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Pierce Physical Therapy in Oak Ridge has an Open House on Monday, and you are invited to join them.

The open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, November 5.

“We are having a Open House with coffee and treats for you to enjoy,” a press release said. “There will be classic cars on display as well (weather permitting), so feel free to drive yours as well.”

Pierce Physical Therapy is located at 661A Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge. You can reach them at (865) 483-0383. It’s your locally owned and operated physical therapy center.

Oak Ridge officials will meet to discuss second phase of Main Street

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The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Hoping to make progress and help produce a good plan, Oak Ridge officials will meet in November to discuss the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge.

Oak Ridge officials have had concerns about proposed revisions to the master plan for Main Street as the developer, RealtyLink, prepares to welcome a second wave of tenants. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission postponed a vote on the revised master plan during a meeting on Thursday, October 18.

The November 8 joint work session will include the Planning Commission and the Oak Ridge City Council. The special meeting was requested last Thursday when the Planning Commission postponed its decision on the revised master plan.

Some officials have raised concerns about the proposed revisions to the master plan, including the possible closure of the road connecting Rutgers Avenue to the roundabout at Main Street, and they have emphasized their interest in having a mixed-use city center with pedestrian connections, green space or a central gathering spot in its interior, and restaurants and residential units. [Read more…]

Revised plan, postponed vote inject uncertainty into second phase of Main Street

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The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built in its place as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A revised master plan and postponed vote have injected uncertainty into the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

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Centrus Energy has $15 million project to prepare K-1600 for demolition

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The "footprint," the area where the K-25 Building used to be in west Oak Ridge, is pictured above at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. The white K-1600 Building is pictured in the middle of the "footprint." The brick building in the foreground is Oak Ridge Fire Station No. 4. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

The K-25 “footprint,” the area where the K-25 Building used to be in west Oak Ridge, is pictured above at the East Tennessee Technology Park in west Oak Ridge. The white K-1600 Building is pictured in the middle of the “footprint.” The brick building in the foreground is Oak Ridge Fire Station No. 4, and it includes the K-25 History Center. (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management)

 

Centrus Energy Corporation has a $15 million project to prepare K-1600, a building in the middle of the historic K-25 “footprint,” for demolition.

On Tuesday, Centrus announced that it had received a work authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy for decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) work at the building. The work will include removing and disposing of equipment and materials to make K-1600 non-radiologically contaminated and non-possessing (i.e. unclassified), a press release said. The work will occur between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019.

After the work is completed, DOE will be able to turn over K-1600 to a contractor to demolish it, the press release said. It’s one of the last remaining “legacy structures” on the 2,200-acre site of the World War II-era K-25 uranium enrichment plant, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, the press release said.

Many other buildings have been demolished there, including the five large gaseous diffusion buildings once used to enrich uranium for atomic weapons and commercial nuclear power plants. ETTP is now being converted into a large industrial park in west Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge appoints Kendall as interim president

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Lisa Kendall

Lisa Kendall

 

Explore Oak Ridge, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, announced Friday that it will appoint Lisa Kendall to the position of interim president.

Marc DeRose, the former president of Explore Oak Ridge, announced in late August that he planned to resign from the position in September to pursue other career goals after four years, but he would remain in the position until September 30 (this past Sunday) to assist in the search and transition to a new president.

Kendall currently serves as vice president of Explore Oak Ridge, and she oversees visitor event development and support, a press release said. Since joining Explore Oak Ridge in 2015, Kendall has led many initiatives to enhance the economic impact of visitors on Oak Ridge, the press release said. [Read more…]

Blossom Center wins $10,000 grant from ORNL FCU

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Photos by Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence

Photos by Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence

 

Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence of Oak Ridge is one of seven nonprofit organizations to receive $10,000 grants from ORNL Federal Credit Union.

Here is a press release announcing the grants:

Since August 6, 1948, ORNL Federal Credit Union has been a trusted financial cooperative for members, and the East Tennessee community. To celebrate its 70 year history, the Credit Union recently offered its members the opportunity to nominate worthy nonprofit organizations to receive one of seven $10,000 grants through a $70,000 Community Giveback and Investment opportunity.

The following organizations were selected to each receive a $10,000 grant:

Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence

By providing a sliding tuition scale based on income, the Oak Ridge-based Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence provides day care, after school care, and pre-school programs for low-income families for children from ages 12 months to 13 years old. Their programs include healthy meals, educational activities including STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs, and play time. The center is open each day from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. to accommodate parents with varying work schedules. [Read more…]

DOE award recognizes UCOR safety performance

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UCOR President and Project Manager Ken Rueter is pictured above at the K-25 History Center on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

UCOR President and Project Manager Ken Rueter is pictured above at the K-25 History Center on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

URS|CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for outstanding safety performance in its role as lead cleanup contractor for the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, a press release said.

UCOR received the DOE Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star of Excellence at the VPP Participants Association national conference in Nashville. This is the second consecutive year UCOR has won the award, the press release said.

The Star of Excellence recognizes UCOR’s outstanding level of performance in meeting established safety and health goals, actively conducting outreach to others, and in achieving an injury and illness rate significantly below the average of similar businesses and operations, the release said.

“The work we perform every day is some of the most hazardous and challenging in the nation,” said Ken Rueter, UCOR president and chief executive officer. “As our work continues expanding to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, we have continued our high level of safety performance despite having to tackle new challenges.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber to host information session on changing retail market

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

Retail Strategies, a national retail real estate consulting firm that partners with cities across the nation to expand retail opportunities, will have representatives in Oak Ridge on September 25, a press release said.

Retail Strategies will offer brief on-site consulting services for retail property owners/managers during the day on a first-come, first-served basis.

From 4-5:30 p.m., representatives of the firm will be on hand for an information session detailing Oak Ridge’s changing retail market, trade area, trends, and targets, the press release said. The session will take place at TownePlace by Marriott, which is 300 South Rutgers Avenue. The session will be hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Ridge Economic Development Initiative. [Read more…]