Oak Ridge Today

Mall sale still on track for closing by end of month

Posted at
By 4 Comments

Oak Ridge Mall

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The closing on the sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall is proceeding, and it is still on track to close by the end of June, a city consultant said Friday.

“Everything we’re hearing is that they are still on track to close by the end of the month,” said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.

Evans said officials have been in contact with the RealtyLink, the mall redeveloper, this week, and RealtyLink and the city staff have been discussing construction sequencing.

“We’ve had multiple meetings on that this week,” Evans said. [Read more…]

Candidate forum for Anderson County Commission District 8 to be held July 14

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee will host a series of candidate forums during the election season this year, and the first forum, for three Anderson County Commission candidates, will be in July.

That first forum will be for candidates running in the special election for Anderson County Commission District 8. The forum will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. Thursday, July 14, in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

All three candidates for the office—Myra Mansfield, Angeleque McNutt, and Phil Yager—have indicated that they will be present for the forum, a press release said. All candidate forums are free and open to the public. [Read more…]

Photos: Lavender Festival in Jackson Square

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival in Jackson Square June 18 2016 1

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 18, 2016. The festival included artisan vendors in the square and on Broadway. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday celebrated herbs, crafts, food, and music. Here are photos by Julio Culiat.

The festival celebrated the Herb of the Year, Capsicum, or hot peppers. New this year, “A Taste of Tennessee Wines” brought wine tasting to the festival. The tasting was hosted by Great Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of five independent wineries in East Tennessee.

The Lavender Festival also featured more than 100 artisan vendors, several informative presentations, children’s activities, and live musicians. Vendors lined the covered walkways of Jackson Square, the parking lot, and both sides of Broadway Avenue, which was closed to traffic.

The Oak Ridge Farmers Market was open as usual across from the square from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday.

Lavender Festival in Jackson Square June 18 2016 3

The Lavender Festival in Jackson Square on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Above, children stay cool playing in the interactive fountain in the center of Jackson Square. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

[Read more…]

Barbara Ferrell receives Muddy Boot Award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

David McCoy Barbara Ferrell and David Bradshaw June 17 2016

Barbara Ferrell, center, received a Muddy Boot Award in a surprise ceremony on Friday, June 17, 2016, in conjunction with the Lavender Festival in Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Also pictured are Dave McCoy, left, and David Bradshaw. (Submitted photo)

 

Barbara Ferrell, who owns The Ferrell Shop in Jackson Square, received the Muddy Boot Award on Friday.

The award is given by the East Tennessee Economic Council. It is a tribute to people who, through their work and community activities, make East Tennessee a stronger region.

The mid-year Muddy Boot Award was given to Ferrell in a surprise ceremony on Friday in conjunction with the annual Lavender Festival in Jackson Square.

Ferrell has been a leading independent retailer in Oak Ridge for more than 25 years, a press release said. She has been the driving force behind the successful Lavender Festival, which celebrates its 18th year this year. [Read more…]

Small business center offers workshops in June, July, August

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is offering workshops in June, July, and August.

Here is a schedule of workshops:

Topic: Small business start-up

  • Date: Friday, June 24
  • Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Location: Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

This workshop discusses all steps in starting up a new business, to include legal forms of business and financing options.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. To sign up, call TSBDC at (865) 483-2668 or email jbangs@tsbdc.org.

Topic: Search Engine Optimization for websites—introduction

[Read more…]

Plans could change, but for now, Calhoun’s plans to open Wednesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Calhoun's-Restaurant-April-17-2016-Slider

The new Calhoun’s Restaurant in Oak Ridge could open on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, although plans are subject to change. Above, the restaurant was under construction in mid-April at the former site of Riverside Grille on Melton Lake Peninsula in east Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Plans could change, but for now, the new Calhoun’s Restaurant in Oak Ridge plans to open Wednesday, the company said Thursday.

The restaurant will be on Melton Lake Peninsula in east Oak Ridge, where Riverside Grille and Flatwater Grill used to be.

Oak Ridge Today first reported on the new restaurant in March, after Calhoun’s applied for a beer permit from the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board.

The restaurant is owned by the Copper Cellar Corporation, which purchased the property from businessmen and developers Rick and Ryan Chinn in February. [Read more…]

Work under way at new Hobby Lobby store

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Hobby Lobby Renovations at Kroger June 15 2016 1

Construction work was scheduled to start this month on the new Hobby Lobby store at the former Kroger on South Illinois Avenue, and workers are pictured above at the site of the new Hobby Lobby store on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Construction work was scheduled to start at the beginning of this month at the new Hobby Lobby store in Oak Ridge, and workers have been seen at the site in the past few weeks. Construction fencing was up around the new store, which will be at the former Kroger on South Illinois Avenue, as early as May 28.

On Friday, Bob Miller, Hobby Lobby communications coordinator, said plans show a store of 62,800 square feet. Miller said he does not have a projected opening date at this time.

The new store was announced in April.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Hobby Lobby Renovations at Kroger June 15 2016 2

Construction work was scheduled to start this month on the new Hobby Lobby store at the former Kroger on South Illinois Avenue, and workers are pictured above at the site of the new Hobby Lobby store on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

[Read more…]

Lavender Festival: Hot peppers, thyroid health, city chicks, TN wine!

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Lavender Festival 1

Photography by Shawn Millsaps

 

Hot peppers, thyroid health, city chickens, and cooking with Tennessee wine are the topics of special presentations at the 18th annual Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 18, in Historic Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. Lavender Festival is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with more than 100 artisan vendors. Festival admission and special presentations are free, except where noted, a press release said.

Indoor Presentations

Location: In the white building in the southeast corner of the square near the stairs [Read more…]

Council agrees to negotiate on AMSE property for Main Street; DOE wants to dispose of museum

Posted at
By 7 Comments

The American Museum of Science and Energy property is pictured above in central Oak Ridge. The wide road running vertically at center-right through the aerial photo is South Tulane Avenue. The proposed Main Street Oak Ridge would be on the right side of South Tulane Avenue at the former Oak Ridge Mall. The road running horizontally at bottom is South Illinois Avenue. AMSE is the brown-roofed building at top-center.

The American Museum of Science and Energy property is pictured above in central Oak Ridge. The wide road running vertically at center-right through the aerial photo is South Tulane Avenue. The proposed Main Street Oak Ridge would be on the right side of South Tulane Avenue at the former Oak Ridge Mall. The road running horizontally at bottom is South Illinois Avenue. AMSE is the brown-roofed building at top-center.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m. June 16.

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed Monday to allow the city manager to negotiate with federal officials and the company redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall for the transfer of the American Museum of Science and Energy property—if the federal government wants to get rid of it.

And it appears that the federal government does want to dispose of the museum. The U.S. Department of Energy has asked the federal General Services Administration, which disposes of federal property, for help with that process, said Claire Sinclair of Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office Public Affairs. GSA took on that role last week.

But the transfer of federal property such as AMSE usually takes a few years, Sinclair said, and if a new use were proposed for the museum property, adequate public notice would be given. ORNL manages AMSE for DOE.

In the meantime, AMSE is expected to continue operating, officials said.

Under the resolution approved by Council on Monday, the 17.12 acres of federal property at the AMSE site could be transferred to the city. Or RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the mall, could negotiate directly with federal officials. The U.S. Department of Energy owns the museum, and it would work on any proposed transfer through the General Services Administration. [Read more…]

DOE sites provided $1.5 million in funding for AMSE in FY 2015

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

AMSE Community Meeting Audience

The auditorium at the American Science and Energy Museum in Oak Ridge was nearly full during a community meeting to discuss AMSE’s future in July 2014. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three U.S. Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge provided $1.5 million in funding for the American Museum of Science and Energy in Fiscal Year 2015, an official said Monday.

The funding varies each year, and the funding for Fiscal Year 2016, the current fiscal year, hasn’t been determined, said Claire Sinclair, a spokesperson in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office Public Affairs. ORNL manages AMSE for DOE, which owns the museum.

In FY 2015, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex each contributed $630,000 to AMSE, and the East Tennessee Technology Park provided $240,000. That’s a major portion of AMSE funding, the museum says on its website. (AMSE also has memberships, and the museum charges for admission.)

Questions about the future of AMSE have been raised as the Oak Ridge City Council considers a resolution on how the city would like the land transferred, if the DOE and General Services Administration decide to dispose of the property at some point in the future. [Read more…]

AMSE: Transfer of federal property usually takes few years, public notice would be given

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

AMSE Sign

The American Museum of Science and Energy is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Sara Wise)

 

AMSE over-sized, operationally challenged, spokesperson says

The transfer of federal property such as the American Museum of Science and Energy usually takes a few years, and if a new use were proposed for the AMSE property, adequate public notice would be given, an official said Monday.

There has been no public announcement that the federal government wants to get rid of the 17.12 acres of federal property that includes AMSE.

But the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution tonight (Monday, June 13) that would allow City Manager Mark Watson to negotiate with the U.S. Department of Energy and General Services Administration, as well as the company redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall, for the property transfer. The GSA is responsible for disposing of federal property.

RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the 58-acre mall site, has said that any redevelopment of the AMSE property that competes with its project, known as Main Street Oak Ridge, would be devastating to its efforts to provide the city a much-needed, quality, retail-centered mixed-use town center. RealtyLink said it must be able to control the redevelopment of the AMSE property. [Read more…]

Chamber supports AMSE land transfer resolution

Posted at
By 8 Comments

AMSE-Manhattan-Project-Park-Nov-12-2015

The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on November 15, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 a.m. June 14.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce supports a resolution that would allow the city manager to negotiate with business executives and federal officials to transfer about 17 acres of federal property at the American Museum of Science and Energy to help Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the land transfer resolution during a meeting tonight (Monday, June 13). Under that resolution, the 17.12 acres could either be transferred to the city or to RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the mall. The transfer would also include 1.87 acres of city-owned land that are on the north, south, and west sides of the AMSE property.

On Friday, Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy said the Chamber supports the land transfer resolution.

“It’s entirely consistent with our overall support for the Main Street Oak Ridge project,” Hardy said. “This has been a long time getting here, and we’re proud to lend our support.” [Read more…]