Oak Ridge Today

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries opens in Oak Ridge

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Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries opened Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. It's the fifth Hwy 55 restaurant in Tennessee, and it will add 35 jobs to the Oak Ridge community, the company said in a press release.

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries opened Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. It’s the fifth Hwy 55 restaurant in Tennessee, and it will add 35 jobs to the Oak Ridge community, the company said in a press release.

 

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries opened Monday on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

It’s the fifth Hwy 55 restaurant in Tennessee, and it will add 35 jobs to the Oak Ridge community, the company said in a press release.

Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries is an All-American, retro-themed diner, the press release said.

“Located at 441 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, Hwy 55 will provide residents and visitors with an inviting dining experience featuring fresh, never-frozen burgers, premium sliced cheesesteaks piled high on steamed hoagies, and frozen custard made in-house every day,” the press release said. “With its open-grill design, the kitchen’s dedication and care when handcrafting meals is front and center.” [Read more…]

Today: State of city housing to be discussed

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The speaker for Lunch with the League on Tuesday, September 18, will be Anne Dunthorn, commissioner of the Oak Ridge Housing Authority. Her discussion will include current initiatives for middle class families and new initiatives for permanent and rental housing, a press release said.

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, the press release said.

A longtime citizen of Oak Ridge and Anderson County, Dunthorn has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Tennessee. She has served as business manager and consultant with C F Systems, technical consulting services, since 1977.  In the Housing and Urban Development arena, her work has included serving as grant writer, team leader, and developer of multi-family properties for nonprofit organizations that target people with special needs, the press release said. [Read more…]

Gemstones of the World featured at Karen’s Jewelers on Thursday

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These loose gemstones will be among those on display at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Submitted photo)

These loose gemstones will be among those on display at Karen’s Jewelers in Oak Ridge on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Submitted photo)

 

Karen’s Jewelers will host a one-day gemstone show featuring loose colored gemstones from around the world from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday, September 13, at the store, which is at 1120 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.

Thousands of loose stones, from aquamarine to zircon, will be presented at Karen’s Jewelers by Artinian Gems, a California company that searches for fine gemstone materials all over the world. The firm’s gemstones have come from Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Nigeria, and other remote mining areas, a press release said.

“All the stones are handpicked for their brilliance and color saturation,” said Jonathan Hart of Karen’s Jewelers. “We invited Artinian Gems to Oak Ridge not only for the company’s fair-trade practices and support for international causes, but also because of how well Artinian curated its collection.”

Included in the show, besides aquamarine and zircon, will be garnet, opal, ruby, sapphire, morganite, beryl, peridot, sphene, tanzanite, and tourmaline. Prices will range from a $20 citrine to a $50,000 sapphire, along with some at more than $100,000, all faceted to the highest standards in Artinian’s gemstone cutting facility, Hart said. [Read more…]

Safety Fest TN is next week in Oak Ridge

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Safety Fest TN

Safety Fest TN is next week in Oak Ridge. Safety Fest TN is an annual community event that offers more than 90 free safety classes and demonstrations to residents and companies, a press release said.

Safety Fest TN is scheduled from September 10-14. This year’s training classes will be offered at Y-12’s New Hope Center, ORAU’s Pollard Technical Center, and other local venues.

Registration and a complete list of classes can be found at www.safetyfesttn.org. [Read more…]

Youth Advisory Board planning job fair for teens

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The Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board is planning a job fair for teenagers on Wednesday, September 12. It’s scheduled from 1:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the Oak Ridge High School Café.

The event will introduce students to possible job opportunities and provide them with information on resume writing and interviewing skills. The event will also serve as an excellent opportunity for vendors to meet potential employees, a press release said.

Vendors that have already signed up include: Big Ed’s Pizza, Kroger, ASAP, RecruitWise, the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge, and the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department. Additional vendors are expected. [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge president resigns

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose, president of Explore Oak Ridge, announced Thursday that he plans to resign from the position next month to pursue other career goals.

DeRose served as president of Explore Oak Ridge, the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, for four years, a press release said. He plans to remain in the position until September 30 to assist in the search and transition to a new president.

“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Oak Ridge as president of Explore Oak Ridge,” DeRose said in a press release. “The team at Explore Oak Ridge, the board of directors, and our partners at the City of Oak Ridge were a critical part of every success Explore Oak Ridge experienced over the past several years. I’m confident that I’ll be leaving the organization in exceptional hands. The decision to leave Explore Oak Ridge was difficult and required a lot of consideration by my family and me.” [Read more…]

Photos: Valvoline Instant Oil Change under construction

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A Valvoline Instant Oil Change is pictured above under construction near Kroger at the Westcott Center shopping center at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and North Illinois Avenue on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A Valvoline Instant Oil Change is pictured above under construction near Kroger at the Westcott Center at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and North Illinois Avenue on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A Valvoline Instant Oil Change is under construction near Kroger at the Westcott Center at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and North Illinois Avenue.

Here are two photos from the construction site on Thursday.

The Kroger shopping center itself is still relatively new, about four years old. The Valvoline Instant Oil Change is the newest addition to any of the shopping center properties around Kroger. [Read more…]

Pine Ridge building, property under contract; rest of Summit for sale for $3.5 million

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A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It's pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. A 30,000-square-foot building on the property is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A building that is about 30,000 square feet and was once used to store documents on Pine Ridge for the Y-12 National Security Complex is under contract and in “due diligence,” according to an executive involved in the potential sale.

Also under contract is about 15 acres on Pine Ridge, also known as The Summit, a large piece of property that offers panoramic views from a ridge top above South Illinois Avenue in south Oak Ridge.

Noah Myers, principal broker with CornerStone Realty, said he hopes there is a closing on the building and land purchase this fall.

Separate from that potential purchase, there is about 85 acres of open land on Pine Ridge that is for sale for $3.5 million. It’s a mix of office and industrial property, Myers said. Utilities are in place, including roads, electricity, water, and sewer. [Read more…]

MCLinc buys Mitchell Road facility, plans to open new lab next year

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Photo courtesy Akins Public Strategies

Photo courtesy Akins Public Strategies

 

MCLinc has purchased a 41,000-square-foot facility located on Mitchell Road, where it will move its new laboratory and headquarters in early 2019 after remodeling part of the building for lab use.

The building will include a new laboratory and office space, along with about 16,000 square feet of space that will be rented to other tenants.

“While our original plan was to build a new laboratory in Horizon Center, time constraints of construction of the facility made it necessary for us to look at other opportunities,” said Barry Stephenson, MCLinc president and chief executive officer. “We are committed to our employees and to the community of Oak Ridge, where we have operated for the past 20 years, and we’re excited about what the future holds as we expand our laboratory and staff.”

In addition to saving 20 current positions with the move, MCLinc forecasts adding 26 new positions during the first five years of operations in its new facility, a press release said. [Read more…]

Next City Blueprint Open House is Thursday

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Photo by City of Oak Ridge

Photo by City of Oak Ridge

 

The next Oak Ridge City Blueprint Open House is Thursday. City residents and property owners are invited to participate in envisioning the future of the City Center Subarea, a press release said.

The open house is hosted by the Oak Ridge Community Development Department and Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission. It is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 23, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. A brief presentation during the meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The City Center Subarea involves a triangular area defined by three major street corridors: Oak Ridge Turnpike, South Illinois Avenue, and Rutgers Avenue, the press release said. [Read more…]

For sale: Pine Ridge property with panoramic views

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A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It's pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale.

It’s not clear how the property, which was cleared and graded more than a decade ago, might be used. There have been inquiries about multi-family apartments, single-family homes, and industrial uses, said Tom Tuck of TNBANK, which is based in Oak Ridge and now owns the property.

The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s on the ridge top on the right side of the road as you head up the hill toward Centrifuge Way leaving Oak Ridge and driving to Knox County.

TNBANK foreclosed on the property in February. The previous owner was Revis Family LLC, according to Anderson County property records. [Read more…]

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers open, more businesses planned

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Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was open, as pictured above on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues as part of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was open, as pictured above on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues as part of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is open at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues, and more businesses are planned at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

So far, Main Street Oak Ridge features a dozen new businesses—including retail stores, a restaurant, and a hotel—and the relocated American Museum of Science and Energy near JCPenney, an anchor store at the northeast side of the mall.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which opened Tuesday in a building that will include another business, was busy Tuesday afternoon, with a parking lot that was mostly full, a drive-through line that wrapped around two sides of the building, and a customer line that stretched from the counter inside to the door. The restaurant has been getting good reviews online.

Plans for the new restaurant were announced in May 2017, and construction was under way at the 1.4-acre site, which is next to the rebuilt Taco Bell restaurant on South Illinois Avenue, in January. [Read more…]