Oak Ridge Today

Council to discuss city marketing, eighth rowing lane, housing, Main Street

Posted at
By 8 Comments

SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-6

Officials and referees monitor races on the seven-lane rowing course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss city marketing, the potential eighth lane at the rowing course, housing, and Main Street Oak Ridge.

The issues will be discussed during a non-voting work session of the Oak Ridge City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the Multipurpose Room of the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane, which is behind the Kmart shopping center.

There are other agenda items that could also be discussed: pending U.S. Department of Energy projects and public comment requests, and updates on the Oak Ridge Senior Center and Friendship Bell.

The report on visitation marketing will be presented by Marc DeRose, executive director of Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau). [Read more…]

Council to consider rejecting bids for eighth rowing lane

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

SIRA-Regatta-April-17-2016-6

Two bids to add an eighth lane to the Oak Ridge rowing course came in much higher than city officials were prepared to spend, and City Council will consider rejecting the bids during a meeting on Monday, June 13, 2016. Above, officials and referees used Oak Ridge Rowing Association boats to monitor the races on the seven-lane course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The city has received two bids on a project to add an eighth rowing lane at the Oak Ridge Marina, and both were significantly higher than what city officials were prepared to spend. So, the Oak Ridge City Council will consider rejecting the two bids during its meeting tonight (Monday, June 13).

The city has received a $250,000 state grant for the proposed eighth lane. The city planned to contribute $150,000, and City Manager Mark Watson had solicited more money from other agencies that would benefit from the rowing course improvements. That meant there was enough money available to fund a project of about $560,000, which is close to a targeted estimate that Watson gave City Council members in March.

But since then, the city has received two bids. The high bid of $2.14 million was from Wright Brothers Construction. The low bid of $1.74 million was from Simpson Construction.

Both bids are “totally out of line with projected estimates,” Watson said in a June 8 memo to City Council. [Read more…]

Civic Center Recreation Building temporarily closing for ACT testing Tuesday, April 19

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Civic-Center-March-7-2016

The Oak Ridge Civic Center is pictured above on Oak Ridge Turnpike in March 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Center Recreation Building will be closed to the public during the day on Tuesday, April 19. The Oak Ridge Schools will be using the facility to conduct ACT testing for students. Only students pre-registered for the test, school faculty, proctors, and assigned Recreation and Parks staff will be admitted to the building. The building will reopen for public use at 5 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Civic Center is at 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

For more information contact Jon Hetrick, Recreation and Parks Department, at (865) 425-3446 or visit the city’s website at http://www.oakridgetn.gov.

Eighth rowing lane could cost more than $500,000, up to about $1.2 million

Posted at
By 25 Comments

Cardinal-Invitational-Regatta-West-Virginia-Rowing-March-12-2016

Twelve of the nation’s best NCAA Division I women’s rowing teams competed this month in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge. Pictured above, a West Virginia University team competes at Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The eighth lane would require some work along the Melton Lake Drive side of the course, which is on the right side of this picture. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

An eighth lane at the seven-lane Oak Ridge rowing course could cost more than $500,000 and up to about $1.2 million, officials said Tuesday.

The eighth lane has been on the wish list of rowers and many local officials for years. They say it would allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas, which require an eighth lane. It would also keep the site a top-tier rowing venue and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the eighth lane in April 2015.

In August, the city hired Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon Inc. for design and survey work, among other tasks.

A March 1 memo from BWSC to Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director, outlines five construction options with various estimates of probable costs ranging between $543,771 and $1,162,444. The five estimated construction costs include a 20 percent contingency. All five options would include a retaining wall and earthwork, which would include excavation and dredging. [Read more…]

Council to consider applying for state grant for synthetic turf at Blankenship

Posted at
By 27 Comments

Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch against Campbell County Oct. 30, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. Pictured above, Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in a catch near the left sideline during a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. It’s the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.

The application that City Council will consider is a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The grant requires a 50 percent match, which would be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000.

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund, or LPRF, grant provides state funding for parks and recreation development and capital projects, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director. It requires the facility to be maintained as a public recreational facility and open to the public. Grant reports must be filed with the state every five years to document ongoing use as a public recreational facility. [Read more…]

Council to consider contract for eighth rowing lane

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Rowing Lane Announcement

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, announces a $250,000 state grant for an eighth rowing lane at the Oak Ridge rowing course on Sunday, April 19, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a $50,000 contract for design and survey work, among other tasks, for an eighth rowing lane at the city’s rowing course.

The eighth lane has been on the city’s wish list for years. It’s been in the Oak Ridge Capital Improvement Plan since 2005.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the extra lane in April. They said it will allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas at the Oak Ridge Rowing Course, keep the site a top-tier rowing venue, and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

[Read more…]

After closing day early, city pool tests negative for cryptosporidium

Posted at
By 5 Comments

Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool

Hundreds of swimmers enjoy the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road on Memorial Day 2012. (File photo)

 

As a precaution, the Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool closed for the season a day early this year after a parent reported that their child had been diagnosed with cryptosporidium, a germ that causes intestinal tract problems.

But a test for cryptosporidium in water samples taken from the pool on Monday came back negative on Wednesday, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick said. The results were negative both on the pool itself and on the spring that feeds it.

Hetrick said cryptosporidium occurs naturally in bodies of water, and it is chlorine-resistant. The child who was diagnosed with it had been at the Oak Ridge pool a few days earlier, Hetrick said.

“So, as a precaution, we chose to close the pool on Sunday just to make sure no one else was exposed if that was the source,” he said. [Read more…]

Record crowds: Secret City Festival was ‘tremendous success’

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Secret City Festival Concert 2015

A concert crowd at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Robert Welton)

 

The 2015 Oak Ridge Secret City Festival drew record attendance, despite the heat, organizers said. Concerts by the Marshall Tucker Band and Three Dog Night attracted the highest number of spectators in festival history.

“We were ecstatic with the turnout for both concerts,” says, Marc DeRose, executive director of the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We knew the bands would be popular but didn’t expect to see quite so many people. It was outstanding!”

Attendances for The Marshall Tucker Band and Three Dog Night were more than 2,200 and more than 3,500, respectively. The previous record was 2,300 for the Rick Springfield concert in 2013.

“After seeing how many tickets were sold at the gate for Friday’s Marshall Tucker concert, we decided to move the concert fences back to accommodate the expected additional 1,000-plus spectators for Three Dog Night,” DeRose said. [Read more…]

Photos: Record-setting crowd at Three Dog Night concert

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Secret City Festival Crowd at Three Dog Night Concert

Although numbers weren’t immediately available, organizers said a record-setting crowd attended the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival on Saturday. Here’s a panoramic view from the stage. (Photo by Jon Hetrick)

 

Numbers weren’t immediately available, but organizers and volunteers said a record-setting crowd attended the Three Dog Night concert at the Secret City Festival on Saturday night.

Here are a few photos by Jon Hetrick and John Westcott. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools hosts first community meeting on fall Intersession

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

With the passing of the new Oak Ridge Schools’ balanced calendar for the 2015-16 school year, when school starts on August 3 and there are three two-week breaks every nine weeks, Intersession was introduced for students. Intersession is time, during the breaks, when students can come back to school and work with teachers on areas where they struggled with academics. Intersession is also a time when schools can introduce “enrichment,” when students can come and learn extra things that educators would like to teach to students.

Oak Ridge Schools’ first Intersession will take place October 5-9. Each of the individual schools have been working and planning on activities that they could offer to students during this week. Finalized activities will be sent home to all parents in the middle of August 2015. [Read more…]

State grant of $250K will help build eighth lane at Oak Ridge rowing course

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Rowing Lane Announcement

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, announces a $250,000 state grant for an eighth lane at the Oak Ridge rowing course on Sunday. Also pictured from left are Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, Sen. Randy McNally, Anderson County Chamber of Commerce President Rick Meredith, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau President Marc DeRose, Oak Ridge City Council member Rick Chinn, and Oak Ridge Rowing Association President Russell Byrd.

 

A $250,000 state grant announced Sunday will be used to help build an eighth lane at the Oak Ridge rowing course. And that’s expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas, officials said.

The eighth lane has been on the city’s wish list for years, and it will allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events like this weekend’s SIRA Regatta.

According to rough estimates, the eighth lane could cost about $350,000 total, said Oak Ridge City Council member Rick Chinn, the father of two former rowers and a rower himself. That means the City of Oak Ridge might have to contribute up to $100,000 to complete the project.

Tennessee Representative John Ragan, the Oak Ridge Republican who spearheaded the effort to get state funding, said the regional impact of the regattas in Oak Ridge is estimated at $13 million now, but it could increase to $33 million, according to a University of Tennessee study. [Read more…]

Task force to consider changes to Secret City Festival

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Secret City Festival Kix Brooks June 2014

Country music artist Kix Brooks, who was part of the country duo Brooks and Dunn, performs during the 2014 Secret City Festival. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

A new task force is scheduled to discuss potential changes to the Secret City Festival on Thursday, including shifting the annual festival to small events from mid-October to November 11 (Veterans Day), creating a nonprofit organization to run the festival (and possibly other special events), and voting on changing the date of the festival and whether it should be a one- or two-day event.

The new task force will also discuss unique opportunities for a festival theme and could develop a list of potential entertainment venues to be used throughout the city for the festival, consider other potential festival dates, and develop a list of potential partners.

The meeting of the Special Events Advisory Task Force starts at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the Oak Ridge Recreation Center’s Craft Room at 1402 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]