To the Editor:
Kudos to Dr. Bruce Borchers and the school staff for the creative and practical fresh look and proposal for resolving the dilemma of our 71-year-old pre-K and Administration building. I believe this solution is fiscally far more attractive and feasible than any alternatives that were suggested in the past. At this point, I am soundly behind it.
Kudos too, to Parker Hardy and the Chamber for being willing to discuss the possibility of letting their building be part of the plan.
I do think the Chamber of Commerce is a very important organization to this city. Finding appropriate alternative quarters, should this plan be adopted, is as important as the rest of the proposal. The Convention and Visitors Bureau also needs a more appropriate location. Would the Chamber and CVB make logical co-tenants of a prominently located facility? Is Main Street Oak Ridge a possible location for the two?
Thanks too, to the School Board and City Council for the joint meeting and discussion. That alone makes me feel more optimistic about the future path of Oak Ridge than I have felt for a good while! I urge you to continue to develop and support this plan. We need to make this happen.
Pat Postma
Oak Ridge
Anne Garcia Garland says
Before Dr. Bailey left, City Manager Watson proposed to him that the school administration offices be leased from among the vacant office buildings in town. I am glad to hear that Dr. Borchers is more open to that kind of space solution. I do not have information about why the current admin offices are inadequate, especially when so much has been spent recently to upgrade their security. Would love to have more info.
The Chamber building would require expensive plumbing and ADA upgrades. When I think back on the planning discussions about the percentage of the Turnpike occupied by tax-exempt properties, I think the Chamber would do the city a better service to relocate off the main thoroughfare and allow the city to sell that property for a high-profile retail (taxable) use.
Dave Smith says
I don’t think there is a significant percentage of the Turnpike frontage that is occupied by non-profit, non-taxpaying entities.
I estimate that in the roughly seven miles between lights #1 and #15 there are a half-dozen churches, the high school, the hospital, the civic center/library, and the Chamber of Commerce. The CoC is sandwiched by the high school property, the civic center and a Methodist church. Is that really a viable location for “high-profile retail?” I think not. There’s little retail synergy to be gained from school, church and folks reading or playing basketball.
As usual there are the individuals who are irrationally focused on the CoC. Beyond the consideration of non-profits, is there not a considerable amount of real estate with Turnpike frontage that is vacant or under-developed (i.e., obsolete)?
Anne Garcia Garland says
“Irrationally focused?” Is that a means of misdirection by aspersion?