• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

 

Demolition permit applied for at Main Street Oak Ridge, site plan approved

Posted at 7:57 pm August 6, 2015
By John Huotari 7 Comments

Main Street Oak Ridge Site Plan Work Session

Barry James, Crosland Southeast senior vice president, standing, explains part of the Main Street Oak Ridge site plan to the Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, August 6, 2015. Seated from left are planning commissioners Terry Domm, Jane Shelton, Claudia Lever, and Charlie Hensley. At left in the background is Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, the current owner of the property, the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:10 p.m.

The demolition permit has been applied for and the site plan approved, two crucial steps in the proposal to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall as Main Street Oak Ridge, a 60-acre site that could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel.

Developers applied for the demolition permit last week, Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said Thursday. It will now be reviewed by the city staff. The demolition could include the existing space between the two remaining anchors, Belk and JCPenney, although those two stores would remain.

The site plan is for the construction of the first phase “building footprints” and the infrastructure to serve them, Baldwin said. Construction drawings for the buildings themselves will come later.

The site plan for the core retail area was approved unanimously by the 10-member Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday evening. It incorporated comments by the city staff. It does not require approval by the Oak Ridge City Council.

Advertisement

The next step is for Crosland Southeast, the North Carolina firm that has proposed the $80 million redevelopment, to submit a revised site plan that “meets the staff comments,” Baldwin said.

“This step was necessary for closing,” Baldwin said.

She said the staff’s civil engineering comments have been addressed, and work on the electric comments is ongoing.

The other steps unanimously approved by planning commissioners on Thursday were a preliminary plat that details construction plans for East and West Main Street and Wilson Street, which are private roads but could become public streets, and approval of tiered signage at Main Street Oak Ridge that would include perimeter signs, directional signs, and individual store signs.

“I’m very optimistic that it’s actually going to take place now,” said Terry Domm, Planning Commission chair.

Phase two of the project could include the multi-family units, five outparcels, and the hotel.

The primary work under way now at the former mall, which is officially called the Oak Ridge City Center, is asbestos abatement.

Advertisement

Domm said he’s visited other Crosland Southeast developments, and they’re very nice. It’s clear that the company has put a lot of time, money, and engineering work into the Oak Ridge project, Domm said.

“I’m encouraged,” he said.

Crosland Southeast plans to open Main Street Oak Ridge to retailers by Thanksgiving 2016.

Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, which owns the property now, said he is also optimistic about the redevelopment.

“These guys are very thorough,” Arnsdorff said of Crosland Southeast. “They’re very good at what they do…I hope they’re able to do what we weren’t able to do—redevelop the mall.”

The main challenge now is getting everything “bow tied,” he said.

Baldwin said the review of the demolition permit could include discussion of disconnecting utilities without affecting existing utilities such as electricity at businesses like Belk, JCPenney, and Tinseltown Theater, or the fire protection system in the existing buildings. Some utility lines could be rerouted, she said.

Other steps recently announced on the eagerly anticipated mall redevelopment include pre-demolition activities and bid reviews, and roughly $500,000 worth of pledges from six local employers to help cover public infrastructure costs.

In March, developers announced they had signed their first anchor store lease. In May, they announced that Atlanta-based MDC development group, through its affiliated company Canterfield Hotel Group LLC, will build a new 120-room hotel at the site.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Main Street Oak Ridge Site Plan

Oak Ridge City Engineer Roger Flynn, standing, explains part of the site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the proposed redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, to the Municipal Planning Commission during a work session on Thursday, August 6, 2015. At right is Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Main Street Oak Ridge Site Plan and Planning Commission

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin, second from right, discuss the site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the proposed redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, during a work session on Thursday, August 6, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Advertisement




Oak Ridge Mall

Oak Ridge City Center, the former Oak Ridge Mall, is pictured above. The L-shaped mall is pictured at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and the white building at top center is Tinseltown Theater. The curved road in the foreground is Rutgers Avenue, and the road at right is Oak Ridge Turnpike. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Asbestos Waste Container at Oak Ridg City Center

Pre-demolition work at the Oak Ridge City Center, the former Oak Ridge Mall, was scheduled to start in July, and an asbestos waste container was on the 60-acre site on Monday, July 13, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Copyright 2015 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: asbestos abatement, Barry James, Charlie Hensley, Claudia Lever, Crosland Southeast, demolition permit, Jane Shelton, Kathryn Baldwin, Main Street—Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Center LLC, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, preliminary plat, Roger Flynn, site plan, Steve Arnsdorff, Terry Domm

Advertisements

 



Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Some of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require significant time to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

Comments

  1. Mike Mahathy says

    August 6, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Great News! Thanks for sharing John.

    Reply
    • johnhuotari says

      August 6, 2015 at 9:13 pm

      You’re welcome, Mike.

      Reply
  2. Charlie Jernigan says

    August 6, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    It’s Happening!!

    Reply
  3. Jeanne Hicks Powers says

    August 7, 2015 at 8:48 am

    So the deal isn’t “closed” yet actually? When is the dotted line to be signed by Crossland? I realize that there is a step by step process and this meeting was just one of them. We are close, but not a ‘done deal” if I am understanding this article correctly. This news boils down to “1 step closer” to me. That’s great, but we have a way to go, don’t we?

    Reply
    • johnhuotari says

      August 7, 2015 at 9:32 am

      Hi, Jeanne.

      A closing date has not been announced yet. It’s my understanding that that is still in the works.

      I think there has been some positive progress, but I believe it’s correct to say that this is not a “done deal” yet.

      Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said steps that included the Thursday night meeting are steps leading up to closing.

      I don’t have specific information on what all remains to be done before closing. One possible step outlined last night: Developers are expected to submit a revised site plan that addresses staff comments.

      Those involved with the project have told me that this is a very complicated project, with thousands of items on the checklist.

      I hope that helps.

      Thank you,

      John

      Reply
  4. Jeanne Hicks Powers says

    August 7, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Thanks, John. This is like being a kid waiting for Christmas morning! It’ll be a great day to see the heavy equipment there making way for the new!

    Reply
    • johnhuotari says

      August 7, 2015 at 2:12 pm

      You’re welcome, Jeanne. I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing this happen.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Business News

MCLinc donation funds ramp for Children’s Museum

Submitted Barry Stephenson believes the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is one of the city’s treasures. The laboratory he leads, employee-owned Materials & Chemistry Laboratory Inc. (MCLinc), wants to make sure this … [Read More...]

ORNL Credit Union president retiring

ORNL Federal Credit Union President and Chief Executive Officer Colin Anderson plans to retire September 30. Anderson has been president and CEO since July 2015, and he has informed the ORNL FCU Board of Directors and … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge Housing Authority proposes home project in Scarboro

The Oak Ridge Housing Authority is interested in an affordable housing project on about 16-18 acres of city-owned land next to the Scarboro Community Center. The site was expected to be developed by Habitat for Humanity … [Read More...]

Company could evaluate leaving rail in place at airport

The Brentwood company performing preliminary studies for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport could evaluate leaving a short section of railroad in place and building a runway bridge over it. The short section of railroad … [Read More...]

CNC Bootcamp returns to Oak Ridge High School this spring

A popular bootcamp is returning to Oak Ridge High School this spring thanks to a recent partnership between Roane State Community College and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing … [Read More...]

More Business

More Government News

City brush pickup continues

The annual citywide brush pickup program continues this week. During the program, which began May 8, tree limbs and bagged yard clippings/leaves will be picked up.   City collection efforts will follow the … [Read More...]

Learn about alternatives to death penalty

You can learn about alternatives to the death penalty during Lunch with the League on Tuesday, May 2. Reverend Stacy Rector, executive director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, will be the guest … [Read More...]

DOE asks for public comment about ETTP groundwater decision

The U.S. Department of Energy has asked for public comment about a proposed plan to reduce groundwater contamination in the main plant area of East Tennessee Technology Park, the former K-25 site in west Oak … [Read More...]

Governor appoints new chancellor in Anderson County

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has appointed Wartburg attorney Jamie Brooks as chancellor for the Seventh Judicial District in Anderson County. The vacancy was created when former Chancellor M. Nichole “Nicki” Cantrell, … [Read More...]

Breakfast with Legislators on Monday

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will host Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 24. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 1403 Oak … [Read More...]

More Government

Recent Posts

  • Tim O’Brien to kick off Summer Sessions concerts
  • ORNL scientist to lead project studying permafrost thaw, climate processes in Alaska
  • Community Band has Memorial Day concert
  • Outdoor Pool closed Sunday due to weather
  • Outdoor pool to re-open Friday
  • Children’s Museum to celebrate 50 years with free admission
  • Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival returning to Oak Ridge
  • City brush pickup continues
  • ORAU employees donate more than 300 pounds of toys and household items to Holiday Bureau
  • Oak Ridge hosting three regattas this month

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2023 Oak Ridge Today