Oak Ridge Today

RealtyLink has ‘immediate opportunity’ to develop self storage facility

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The developer of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, April 25, 2019, said it has an “immediate opportunity” for a climate-controlled self storage facility at the 58-acre site. Examples of what these types of facilities can look like were presented to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission by Brett Rogers, construction director for RealtyLink, the developer.

The developer of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday said it has an “immediate opportunity” for a climate-controlled self storage facility at the 58-acre site.

The self storage facility, which could be along Rutgers Avenue, could be three stories, with a maximum height of 35 feet. It could have about the same “footprint” as Dick’s Sporting Goods. It would have internal elevators and minimal parking, and it would be very attractive and have a minimal impact, said Brett Rogers, construction director for RealtyLink, the developer. There would be a sales office on the bottom floor. RealtyLink would self-develop the facility.

Rogers showed examples of two similar facilities in Knoxville and one each in Hardin Valley and Farragut during an Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening.

A market study showed high demand for this type of facility, Rogers said.

[Read more…]

Planning Commission recommends revised Main Street plan

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission was to discuss the proposed revisions during a work session on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission voted 7-1 on Thursday to recommend a revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge to the Oak Ridge City Council.

Among the requested changes are building four stores along a sidewalk between PetSmart and JCPenney, removing the access road from Rutgers Avenue to the roundabout at Main Street Oak Ridge to allow those four stores to be built, removing the multi-family residential units that had been proposed in the area between Walmart and JCPenney, and including mixed-use development areas along Wilson Street as part of the third phase of the project.

Voting to recommend the revised plan were Planning Commission Chair Stephen Whitson and planning commissioners Jim Dodson, Charlie Hensley, Sharon Kohler, Claudia Lever, Roger Petrie, and Todd Wilson. Planning Commissioner Jane Shelton cast the only “no” vote.

Planning Commission approved the revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge during a roughly 1.5-hour discussion on Thursday. The meeting included discussions of sidewalks, parking lot configurations, pedestrian connections, and a possible traffic study.

[Read more…]

RealtyLink negotiating leases with three national tenants

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

RealtyLink, the company developing Main Street Oak Ridge, is negotiating leases with three national tenants, construction director Brett Rogers, left, told the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday evening, April 25, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

RealtyLink, the company developing Main Street Oak Ridge, is negotiating leases with three national tenants, an executive said Thursday.

Brett Rogers, RealtyLink construction director, was responding to a question from former Oak Ridge City Council member Anne B. Garcia during a Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. She wanted to know if RealtyLink has contracts to occupy the four new proposed stores, or if changes to the project plan were being proposed on speculation.

Responding to that question, Rogers said the three large national tenants are committed to be in Oak Ridge.

“We just have to get them across the finish line,” he said in a brief interview after the meeting.

[Read more…]

Tennis: Freshman is undefeated

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge High School freshman Andrew Lee is undefeated in his first season playing tennis as a Wildcat. Lee is pictured above kneeling in the front row with his teammates before their match with Central High School this month. Pictured in the back row from left to right are Ben Bussell, Blaise Ochs, Mikolai Zolnierczuk, Levi Parish, Justin Blanchard, Anhaar Ajaz, Stuart Dorman, and Andrew Brady. (Photo courtesy David Bowman)

Oak Ridge High School freshman Andrew Lee is undefeated in his first season playing tennis as a Wildcat.

Lee, who is playing at number one singles and doubles, has won won 18 singles and doubles matches against Maryville, Hardin Valley, and seven District 3 tennis teams, Coach David Bowman said.

“His sportsmanship and record has established him as a leader on the courts, plus he is humble and a great teammate off the courts,” Bowman said. “ORHS looks forward to having him represent the Wildcats in East Tennessee’s TSSAA tournaments starting the second week of May at Tyson Park.”

The Oak Ridge tennis teams have one home match left this season to play. It’s at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, against Powell High School.

[Read more…]

State: Man with measles may have stopped in Clinton

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Department of Health on Wednesday said that a man infected with the measles may have infected people at two convenience stores in East Tennessee, including one in Clinton.

In a press release, officials said the Department of Health is continuing to investigate a case of measles in a resident of East Tennessee and notify people who may have been exposed to the illness through contact with the patient. This investigation has identified two locations the patient visited in Tennessee where members of the public may have been exposed to measles.

People who were at either of these locations during the dates and times specified below may have been exposed to measles:

[Read more…]

Jenkins promoted to ORPD captain

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Police Department Captain Brad Jenkins is pictured above in April 2019. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

The Oak Ridge Police Department has named Brad Jenkins as its newest captain, promoting him from the rank of lieutenant earlier this month.

Jenkins was publicly recognized by Oak Ridge City Council at the regular meeting on April 8. Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith presented Jenkins with his new badge, the same one worn by Smith when he held the rank of captain with ORPD, a press release said.

Jenkins joined the Oak Ridge Police Department in 1988 after three years with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Police Department.

[Read more…]

Dogwood Junior Championship regatta in Oak Ridge this weekend

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The largest-ever Dogwood Junior Championship regatta is in Oak Ridge this weekend.

The regatta is hosted by the Oak Ridge Rowing Association.

Racing will take place at Oak Ridge Marina on the Clinch River on Saturday, April 27, from 7:30 a.m.-6:45 p.m. and on Sunday, April 28, from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

[Read more…]

Four new stores at Main Street could generate more than $600,000 in tax revenues, city says

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

A revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission was to discuss the proposed revisions during a work session on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

The four new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge could create 150 jobs and generate more than $600,000 in sales and property tax revenues for Oak Ridge and Anderson County, according to calculations by the city’s economic development consultant.

The estimated new revenues could include $572,096 in sales tax revenues and $116,965 in property tax revenues for Oak Ridge and Anderson County, according to the calculations. The portion of new sales tax revenues for just Oak Ridge could total $385,158, according to the calculations.

The four new stores are part of a revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

A new version of that plan is scheduled to be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday. The economic benefit calculations for the new stores are included in the agenda for Thursday’s meeting.

Here is the specific breakdown of the economic benefits of the four new stores, which could total 75,000 square feet, according to the calculations:

[Read more…]

Comedy at the Grove with Josh Phillips on May 3

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Comedy at the Grove welcomes back Oak Ridge native Josh Phillips for an entertaining evening filled with laughs on Friday, May 3, a press release said.

Phillips is the headliner. The show will feature Moody Molavi of Chattanooga. Knoxville’s own Michael Sayne will be the host.

The doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m. Concessions will be available for purchase in the lobby. You must be 18 to enter. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4229686.

Headliner
Josh Phillips [Read more…]

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

ASAP of Anderson and police departments in Anderson County have formed a partnership to take back expired or unused medicines on Saturday.

It’s part of the 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration Rx Drug Take Back Day.

“Community members can bring their expired or unused medicines to one of the Anderson County Take Back locations anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Saturday,” a press release said.

[Read more…]

Friends of Library has Spring Book Sale May 2-5

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Public Library
The Oak Ridge Public Library is pictured above.

The Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library 2019 Spring Book Sale will begin on the evening of Thursday, May 2, and end on Sunday, May 5.

Every day will have a special emphasis, a press release said. Thursday is the Members Sale, when you get to select from all of the books that will be available during the sale. Friday is Facebook Day; “like” Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library on Facebook (www.facebook.com/foloakridge) and receive a coupon for a free regular-priced item. (You can also use the discount at the Book Nooks later.)

On Saturday, all non-auction items (including the special price items) will be half price. Sunday continues to be the Buy-A-Bag-of-Books Sale, when $3 buys everything you can put in the bag we provide. Pricing for most of the titles will continue to be 50 cents or $1 each, the press release said. Withdrawn library titles will be half price Thursday through Saturday.

[Read more…]

Atomic Heritage Foundation launches “Oak Ridge Innovations” program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

“Nuclear medicine, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons. All of that goes back to Oak Ridge,” explains Denise Kiernan, bestselling author of “The Girls of Atomic City.” Oak Ridge, Tennessee has been a center for nuclear research since General Leslie Groves selected it as the Manhattan Project’s uranium enrichment site in 1942. Today, Oak Ridge is the home of many leading scientific and engineering research facilities, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Atomic Heritage Foundation has launched a new online interpretive program, “Oak Ridge Innovations,” to explore Oak Ridge’s legacies for science and society today. Available on AHF’s “Ranger in Your Pocket” website, “Oak Ridge Innovations” includes more than 30 video vignettes describing ORNL’s history and current research in fields such as energy, particle physics, computer science, and medicine, a press release said. The program was developed in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers East Tennessee Section and funded by the IEEE Foundation. Featuring perspectives from current ORNL scientists and Manhattan Project veterans, the program illuminates Oak Ridge’s history and how the laboratory responds to some of today’s biggest challenges, the press release said.

[Read more…]