Oak Ridge Archives - Page 85 of 97

Anderson committee recommends tax package for Oak Ridge Mall

Posted at 7:52 pm November 4, 2013
By John Huotari 1 Comment

The Anderson County Operations Committee on Monday unanimously recommends a tax financing agreement that could help with the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. Pictured above from left are Anderson County commissioners Robert McKamey, Zach Bates (partially obscured), Tracy Wandell, Whitey Hitchcock, Steve Emert, Rick Meredith, and John Shuey.

CLINTON—An Anderson County committee has unanimously recommended a $13 million tax financing agreement that could be used to help redevelop the Oak Ridge Mall.

In a 7-0 voice vote, the Anderson County Operations Committee recommended the tax increment financing, or TIF, to the full Anderson County Commission during a Monday evening meeting.

The TIF could last 20 years, and it would allow new property tax revenues generated at the site to be used to help pay for development costs. It’s already been unanimously endorsed by the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board. [Read more…]

County committee to consider tax financing for Oak Ridge Mall redevelopment

Posted at 2:10 pm November 4, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Operations Committee will consider the tax financing plan for the $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall during a Monday evening meeting.

The tax financing agreement could be worth $13 million and last 20 years. It would allow new property tax revenues generated at the site to be used to help pay for development costs.

The tax increment financing, or TIF, proposal has already been unanimously endorsed by the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board.

It will be considered by the Operations Committee in a meeting that starts at 6 p.m. today in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. It will also be considered at 4 p.m. Thursday by the Anderson County Budget Committee; at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, by the Oak Ridge City Council; and at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, by the Anderson County Commission. [Read more…]

Weigel’s open now, Aldi has grand opening Thursday

Posted at 10:21 am November 4, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Weigel’s on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is now open.

A Weigel’s gas station and store is now open on South Illinois Avenue, and a nearby Aldi grocery has a grand opening celebration on Thursday.

The Weigel’s is on 1.5 acres south of TNBank, and the 4,000-square-foot store includes 16 gas pumps.

Construction started this spring. It’s now the second Weigel’s store in Oak Ridge and the only gas station on South Illinois Avenue between Tulsa Road in central Oak Ridge and Solway in Knox County.

Weigel’s Farm Stores Inc. is a chain headquartered in Powell that operates 57 local dairy and convenience stores. [Read more…]

Big Ed’s owner’s wife releases statement on David Neusel’s death, funeral

Posted at 4:56 pm October 26, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

David Neusel, the owner and operator of Big Ed’s Pizza in Jackson Square, died Thursday. The front of the landmark restaurant is pictured above.

Melissa Neusel, the wife of Big Ed’s Pizza owner David Neusel, released a statement Saturday on his death, funeral plans, and the future of the restaurant.

She said her husband, who was 60, died at 1:30 p.m. Thursday of heart and kidney failure at St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. That was caused by a virus that had settled in and weakened his heart about two years ago, Melissa Neusel said.

She said Big Ed’s Pizza will remain open and continue operating normally, other than on funeral day(s). [Read more…]

Gatti’s Pizza, Market House restaurants close

Posted at 6:23 pm October 25, 2013
By John Huotari 4 Comments

A sign posted on the door of the former Gatti’s Pizza next to the Oak Ridge Mall says the business has been sold.

A longtime pizza restaurant and a newer “farm-to-table” diner have closed in Oak Ridge.

A sign posted on the front door of the former Gatti’s Pizza earlier this month said the business has been sold.

Meanwhile, the owners of The Market House at Jackson Square posted on their Facebook page on Oct. 14 that they will no longer be open but will continue to fulfill any private party obligations.

Oak Ridge Today has not been able to reach the owners of either business to elaborate. [Read more…]

Big Ed’s Pizza owner David Neusel dies; restaurant still open

Posted at 10:51 am October 25, 2013
By John Huotari 2 Comments

David Neusel, the owner and operator of Big Ed’s Pizza in Jackson Square, died Thursday. The front of the landmark restaurant is pictured above.

David Neusel, the owner and operator of Big Ed’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, died Thursday in Nashville, longtime friend Randy Tedford said.

The cause of Neusel’s death and his age weren’t immediately available. It also wasn’t immediately clear who would now own and operate the landmark restaurant in the city’s historic Jackson Square area. (Note: More information on Neusel’s death, funeral, and the future of the restaurant is available in this newer story here.)

But Big Ed’s, which was recognized as one of America’s 51 great pizza parlors in 2010, is still open, server Kim Paluso said Friday morning. As far as she knows, the popular pizzeria will continue operating as usual.

“It was pretty hard for everybody,” Paluso said of Neusel’s death. “A lot of people showed up last night for support.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Mall plan receives key endorsement from city board

Posted at 6:55 pm October 24, 2013
By John Huotari 7 Comments

Ray Evans, right, Oak Ridge economic development consultant, explains an economic impact plan for the proposed $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. Also pictured seated at left are Tim Sittema, a partner in Crosland Southeast, a North Carolina commercial real estate company, and James Murphy, center, a Nashville attorney.

The $85 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall received a key endorsement Thursday when a city board unanimously recommended a plan that would allow new property tax revenues generated at the site to be used to help pay for development costs.

It’s known as a tax increment financing, or TIF, agreement, and it could be worth $13 million and last 20 years. In an 8-0 vote during a special meeting Thursday, the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board recommended the plan to the Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission, which could consider it in November.

Tim Sittema, a partner in Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has had a purchase contract on the mall since January, said the commercial real estate firm doesn’t have signed leases for the proposed redevelopment yet but is focused on 20 or 30 larger potential tenants.

If all goes well, the sale of the mall could close in the middle of next year, and demolition could then start immediately and last three to four months. Construction could last about 1.5 years, Sittema told the IDB. That means the redeveloped property, which would be named Freedom Park, could open in 2016. [Read more…]

Mall TIF could be worth $13 million, last 20 years

Posted at 2:56 pm October 24, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The proposed tax financing agreement to help redevelop the Oak Ridge Mall could be worth up to $13 million and last 20 years, and when complete, the 60-acre site in the center of the city could include a mix of mostly retail and some office space, a hotel, and up to 50 multi-family residential units.

The proposed tax financing agreement to help redevelop the Oak Ridge Mall could be worth $13 million and last 20 years, and when complete, the 60-acre project in the center of the city could include a mix of mostly retail and some office space, a hotel, and up to 50 multi-family residential units.

The developer, C4 Investments LLC of North Carolina, could spend more than $85 million converting what is now a mostly empty enclosed mall into an open-air, retail-driven, mixed-use property.

The redevelopment plan calls for about 400,000 square feet of retail space and roughly 60,000 to 100,000 square feet of office space, according to an economic impact plan to be discussed at a public hearing at 5 p.m. today (Thursday) and considered during a special meeting of the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board. [Read more…]

New low-income apartments for seniors under construction

Posted at 3:00 pm October 23, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A new three-story apartment complex for very low-income seniors over the age of 62 is currently being constructed in Oak Ridge and could be open for occupancy by next spring.

Dogwood Manor Apartments is being built behind Linda Brown Realty on Oak Ridge Turnpike and is funded by a federal Housing and Urban Development grant worth $3.1 million. The new facility will feature 23 one-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom apartment for the on-site manager. The apartments are all designed to be handicap-accessible and one unit will be designed for use by someone with vision or hearing impairments.

Residents would pay 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities in the subsidized housing complex. The work is being performed by J&S Construction of Cookeville.

IDB has public hearing, special meeting to consider mall plan Thursday

Posted at 11:59 am October 23, 2013
By John Huotari 3 Comments

A city board will have a public hearing and special meeting Thursday to consider a tax financing agreement for the $80 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall. (Submitted image)

A city board will have a public hearing and special meeting Thursday to consider a tax financing agreement for the $80 million redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall.

The public hearing starts at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom. It will include a presentation by Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina company that has a purchase contract on the mall and has proposed redeveloping it. The public hearing will also include public comments.

The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board will have a special meeting after the public hearing to consider approving the tax increment financing, or TIF, agreement, which could be recommended to Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission. [Read more…]

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