Oak Ridge Today

TVA designates Oak Ridge a ‘platinum’ community

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The City of Oak Ridge has achieved platinum status in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s new “Valley Sustainable Communities” program. This designation will enhance the city’s competitiveness for new investments and jobs when companies are looking to grow in new or expanded locations.

The program is sponsored by TVA and developed and administered by consultant Boyette Strategic Advisors.

“The platinum designation recognizes that the Oak Ridge community has made a significant and comprehensive commitment to sustainability and also has thoroughly integrated economic development into its sustainability efforts,” said Del Boyette, BSA president and chief executive officer. [Read more…]

Mall redevelopment could cost $80 million, create close to 1,000 jobs

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Oak Ridge Mall Master Plan

The site plan for the redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall shows a multi-use, town center development with retail, office, hotel, and residential properties. (Submitted image)

The project could include retail, hotel, office, and residential properties, and generate more than $2 million per year in new city and county sales tax revenues, consultant says

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m.

The North Carolina company that wants to redevelop the Oak Ridge Mall has unveiled its site plan for the 60-acre property.

The $80 million redevelopment could include new retail, hotel, office, and residential properties. It would create almost 1,000 new jobs and increase annual city and county sales tax revenues by more than $2 million, according to an estimate by a city consultant.

The two remaining anchor stores at the 500,000-square-foot mall, JCPenney and Belk, would stay. So would Walmart and the Cinemark Tinseltown theater.

Meanwhile, the existing interior space between the anchor stores would be demolished. Previous mall redevelopment plans had also called for demolishing that interior retail space. [Read more…]

DOE asks for more information on $2 million CROET grant

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The U.S. Department of Energy has requested additional information as it tries to close out a $2 million grant awarded 16 years ago to a nonprofit organization that owns, develops, and manages former DOE property.

The grant was issued in 1997 as part of a larger grant that the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee requested from DOE, said Lawrence Young, CROET president and chief executive officer. Most of the money was used for a high-risk loan program for small businesses. The purpose was to create jobs and promote economic development in East Tennessee, said Mike Koentop, spokesman for the DOE Oak Ridge Office. [Read more…]

School board approves one-time bonus, SRO funding, hears pleas to save jobs

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Oak Ridge Board of Education Budget

Oak Ridge High School students Miranda Lands, left, Michele Lands, and Matthew Stansberry present a student petition asking the Oak Ridge Board of Education to spare physics teacher Katherine Goepfert from budget-cutting layoffs.

The teaching jobs should be saved, students and parents told the Oak Ridge Board of Education during a special budget meeting Tuesday.

One of the teachers who could lose her job, Oak Ridge High School physics teacher Katherine Goepfert, or “Ms. G.,” has motivated students who have been in danger of dropping out, they said, and 109 students have signed a petition asking for her position to be saved.

“She’s just a good teacher,” ORHS senior Miranda Lands said. “She’s ‘busting her butt’ every day for our education.”

A few parents pleaded for the board to preserve a special education teaching assistant position at Linden Elementary School. They said their children require one-on-one attention, and they are concerned the students might struggle without that help. [Read more…]

With revenues down, Oak Ridge Schools could cut 18 positions, six could lose jobs

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Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge

Revenues could be down about $1 million, and Oak Ridge Schools officials have recommended cutting 18 positions, including roughly eight teaching spots.

Six employees could lose their jobs, Oak Ridge Interim Superintendent Bob Smallridge said during a special meeting Monday. The rest of the cuts could occur through retirements and employees taking new jobs, among other things.

The 18 reductions could save about $1.1 million, Smallridge said. One special education teaching position would be added. [Read more…]

Governor says legislative agenda underscores top priorities

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Governor Bill Haslam

Gov. Bill Haslam

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam this week announced his priorities for the 2013 legislative session, building on momentum from his past proposals focused on attracting and growing Tennessee jobs, pursuing meaningful education reform, managing an efficient and effective state government, and strengthening public safety.

“In working together over the past two years with the Legislature, we’ve accomplished a lot for the people of Tennessee, and I look forward to working with the 108th General Assembly in the same way,” Haslam said. “Our proposals represent our top priorities of making Tennessee the No. 1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs, continuing to improve education, being the best managed state in the country, and keeping our citizens safe.”

The governor’s legislation:

[Read more…]

Answer Financial move has significant impact, new tenant possible

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Answer Financial Oak Ridge

Answer Financial Inc. is relocating from this building on Union Valley Road to Bridgewater Road in West Knoxville.

Answer Financial’s decision to relocate its local sales center to Knoxville, taking several hundred jobs, will have a significant impact on Oak Ridge, but another tenant could be interested in moving into the office building on Union Valley Road, business leaders said.

One of the largest auto and home insurance agencies in the United States, Answer Financial broke ground on its new 32,775-square-foot facility on Bridgewater Road in Knoxville last week. It could be open by early fall and serve as the company’s primary sales center. It will be able to house more than 400 employees, including more than 100 new employees the company plans to hire in the next two years.

Estimates of the jobs lost in Oak Ridge ranged from about 200 to 300, and officials said Answer Financial workers earned $40,000 to $50,000 or more.

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SAIC cuts about 50 jobs in Oak Ridge

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Note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Nov. 12.

SAIC confirmed Tuesday that about 50 Oak Ridge workers have been laid off as part of a national workforce reduction that includes roughly 700 employees.

Based in McLean, Va., SAIC is a major government contractor that has its shared services headquarters in Oak Ridge. The company has about 900 local employees.

Melissa Koskovich, a spokeswoman for the company, said she didn’t immediately have information on the types of positions affected by the local workforce reductions but would try to get it.

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Advance Auto will eliminate 80 jobs in Andersonville, but won’t close warehouse

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Contrary to recent media reports, Advance Auto Parts said Wednesday it is eliminating 80 jobs at its Andersonville facility, but it is not closing the warehouse.

Advance Auto Parts said it is moving its lower demand products that were housed only in the Andersonville facility to other distribution centers around the country. The move is meant to give customers better and faster service, the company said in a statement.

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Advance Auto workers to lose jobs at Andersonville warehouse

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About 80 workers will lose their jobs at an Advance Auto Parts warehouse facility on Mountain Road in Andersonville, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton.

Advance Auto Parts said Friday that the company will move its low-demand products that were housed only in the Andersonville warehouse to other distribution facilities around the country. Ten to 15 employees will remain at the East Tennessee facility, but the move will cost about 80 people their jobs, WYSH said.

The company said full-time workers who lose their jobs will be offered a severance package and job placement help. The remaining positions will be filled based upon seniority and qualifications, the radio station said.

ETTP security staff cut by 15 employees

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The plan to cut security staff at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been canceled, but the proposal to cut staff at the East Tennessee Technology Park has not, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Courtney Russell Henry, public affairs manager for security contractor WSI Oak Ridge, said 15 employees at ETTP have left the company, including 13 security police officers and one support staff member who accepted a voluntary separation. One officer left the company outside the voluntary separation program, or VSP, Henry said.

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Guest column: Tennessee taxpayers the ‘real winners’ in last two years

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Jobs are, hands down, the most important thing on the minds of Tennesseans as we approach the upcoming election.

We’ve watched the federal government fail time and time again as they have attempted to meddle in the economy. In the Tennessee General Assembly, we understood this would not work. Our approach is a proven path to prosperity.

[Read more…]