As part of the Main Street Oak Ridge groundbreaking on Wednesday, you will have a chance to spray paint on part of the old mall in exchange for a $10 donation, and the money raised will be used for the Blankenship Field Renovation Project.
It’s part of the Main Street Oak Ridge celebration at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 20. The City of Oak Ridge is helping to raise the money for Blankenship Field.
“The fundraising opportunity will be one of the last items in the program, after the groundbreaking and ceremonial demolition we have planned,” a city statement said. “Participants will be asked to donate $10 to the field renovation project. In return, they’ll get to spray paint a designated area on the outside of the old mall building. People can write whatever they’d like (as long as it’s tasteful), but we see this as a special opportunity for the community to bid the ‘mall’ farewell.”
The Main Street Oak Ridge redevelopment could cost $75 million total, and it could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel.
RealtyLink, the Greenville, South Carolina, company that is developing Main Street Oak Ridge, bought the 58-acre site on June 30, purchasing it for $6.3 million from Oak Ridge City Center LLC. The new owner is TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC, a company set up by RealtyLink.
Since the closing, crews have been preparing the property for demolition so RealtyLink can begin a multi-million dollar renovation.
Belk and JCPenney, which remain open and accessible, will be part of Main Street Oak Ridge. The existing enclosed space between them will be demolished.
New stores that have been announced as part of the 600,000-square-foot mixed-use redevelopment are Dick’s Sporting Goods, Electronic Express, Maurice’s, PetSmart, Rack Room, Rue 21, T.J. Maxx, and Ulta.
Construction of new stores that are expected to open in the spring of 2017 could start near Belk in October.
See previous story on Wednesday groundbreaking here.
See last story on Blankenship Field project here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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