The U.S. Department of Energy and its contractor UCOR will highlight the transformation of the East Tennessee Technology Park (the former K-25 site) and discuss the economic opportunities there during a virtual event on Thursday.
The hour-long presentation is free and open to the public, and it is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
“Leadership from both organizations will share the final steps required to complete environmental cleanup activities at the former uranium enrichment complex and transition the site to private ownership, a process known as reindustrialization,” a press release said. “The event also includes a panel discussion with partners who helped create the vision and blueprint for this ambitious conversion.”
Future plans for the East Tennessee Technology Park include multi-million-dollar business commitments, a potential general aviation airport, expansive greenways, and numerous facilities that share the site’s rich history related to the Manhattan Project and Cold War, the press release said.
The public can access the meeting here, and no registration is required.
The site was originally constructed to support uranium enrichment operations as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II. Those operations ceased in 1985, and DOE shut down the site permanently in 1987. Afterward, DOE launched a massive environmental cleanup effort to transform the site into a multi-use industrial park for the community. That effort involved tearing down 500 structures, which was completed in 2020 four years ahead of schedule, saving taxpayers $500 million.
DOE has already transferred 1,300 acres of land at the site back to the community, and it recently signed an agreement with the state of Tennessee that will transfer another 3,500 acres for conservation and recreation. The East Tennessee Technology Park already has numerous private businesses on site and also contains an element of a national park.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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