Main Street—Oak Ridge Archives

DOE public bus tour now starts at new AMSE

Posted at 2:28 pm October 2, 2018
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s facilities public bus tour started departing from the new American Museum of Science and Energy, which is located at 115 Main Street East in Oak Ridge, on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018. (Photo courtesy DOE Oak Ridge Office)

The U.S. Department of Energy’s facilities public bus tour started departing from the new American Museum of Science and Energy on Monday.

The new AMSE is at Main Street Oak Ridge near JCPenney. The address is 115 Main Street East.

The new museum, which replaces the former museum on South Tulane Avenue, opened to the public on Monday (October 1) with a limited schedule, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed weekends), a press release said.

“Participating in the public bus tour allows visitors to go behind the scenes and explore the lives of those who lived and worked behind the fences of the 1940s city of Oak Ridge, also known as the Secret City,” the press release said. “Visitors will experience the race to build the first atomic bomb through artifacts, audiovisuals, live demonstrations, and interactive exhibits.” [Read more…]

Historic flat top house moving from AMSE to Children’s Museum

Posted at 12:39 pm September 11, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, officials said Monday, Sept. 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The historic flat top house that has been at the American Museum of Science and Energy for about a decade will be moved to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge on October 2, project officials said Monday.

The Children’s Museum kicked off a Go Fund Me campaign for the project on Monday, inviting the community to help raise $25,000 to support the move and preserve and maintain the flat top.

The Children’s Museum said it offered to give the flat top a new home when AMSE announced that it is moving to Main Street Oak Ridge. The former AMSE location on South Tulane Avenue, which had been used for about four decades, closed in late July. The new AMSE location at Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, is expected to open in October. There isn’t enough space to keep the flat top as an exhibit at the new AMSE, a press release said.

But the Children’s Museum does have room for the flat top on its property, the press release said. The flat top will be southeast of the museum building, which is at 461 West Outer Drive in north Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Flat top house at AMSE is moving to new location

Posted at 10:19 am September 7, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

american-museum-of-science-and-energy-front-jan-2-2017-slider

The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The flat top house at the American Museum of Science and Energy is moving from its current location on South Tulane Avenue.

The new location hasn’t been announced yet, although an announcement about the move will be made Monday by representatives of the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

The AMSE location on South Tulane Avenue has been used for more than 40 years. But it closed in late July because the museum is moving to a new location at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. The new AMSE will be near JCPenney on the northeast side of Main Street Oak Ridge. It is scheduled to open in October. [Read more…]

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers open, more businesses planned

Posted at 5:51 pm August 14, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was open, as pictured above on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues as part of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is open at South Illinois and South Tulane avenues, and more businesses are planned at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

So far, Main Street Oak Ridge features a dozen new businesses—including retail stores, a restaurant, and a hotel—and the relocated American Museum of Science and Energy near JCPenney, an anchor store at the northeast side of the mall.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which opened Tuesday in a building that will include another business, was busy Tuesday afternoon, with a parking lot that was mostly full, a drive-through line that wrapped around two sides of the building, and a customer line that stretched from the counter inside to the door. The restaurant has been getting good reviews online.

Plans for the new restaurant were announced in May 2017, and construction was under way at the 1.4-acre site, which is next to the rebuilt Taco Bell restaurant on South Illinois Avenue, in January. [Read more…]

New AMSE has grand opening in October

Posted at 12:21 pm August 10, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The current location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue could close at the end of July, and the museum could re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in the early fall, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The last location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue closed at the end of July, and the museum will re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in October, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The new American Museum of Science and Energy at Main Street Oak Ridge will have a grand opening ceremony on October 18, officials said Friday.

The ceremony will welcome visitors to the new location on the northeast side of Main Street Oak Ridge, near JCPenney. The new 18,000-square-foot space will include a newly designed exhibit gallery featuring state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, as well as a lecture hall and classroom facilities, a press release said.

“AMSE is planning a multi-phase opening to ensure a smooth transition and quality experience for museum staff, stakeholders, and the public,” the press release said.

On October 1, AMSE will open to the public on a limited schedule, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed on weekends). This will lead up to AMSE’s grand opening event on October 18, the press release said. [Read more…]

Site work starts for Tire Discounters in front of AMSE

Posted at 4:13 pm July 22, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Site work is pictured above on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, on the lot where a Tire Discounters will be built along South Illinois Avenue in front of the American Museum of Science and Energy. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Site work was under way last week for a Tire Discounters on property south of the American Museum of Science and Energy, the first development on any part of the museum site.

There could be other developments later on the southern 7.4 acres of the 19-acre museum site, possibly including a grocery or retail store of about 55,000 square feet and retail or restaurant space. (See here and here.)

The Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved a rezoning for the 7.4 acres, which will include the Tire Discounters store, in November.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission unanimously approved a final master plan for a planned unit development on the property during a special meeting in March. The final master plan was subject to certain conditions. Among them were one requirement to submit a new or revised traffic impact study when the site plan for the grocery store or large “box” store is submitted and one to install sidewalks on the northern boundary of the property. [Read more…]

AMSE director named

Posted at 7:29 pm July 6, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The American Museum of Science and Energy is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. (File photo by Sara Wise)

Julia Bussinger has been named director of the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, effective July 16. As director, Bussinger will be responsible for supervising staff and managing the daily operations of AMSE, a press release said.

The museum is moving soon from its current location on South Tulane Avenue to a new home in renovated space near JCPenney at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. The new facility is expected to open this fall, and the current location will close July 29.

“We welcome Julia to Oak Ridge and are extremely pleased to have someone of her caliber to oversee the day-to-day operations of the AMSE,” said Ken Tarcza, manager of the Integrated Support Center—Oak Ridge for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Bussinger has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Sofia University in Bulgaria, a master’s degree in philosophy in conservation, and a doctorate in conservation from Gothenburg University in Sweden. She also has significant experience managing a variety of museums and has managed multiple projects and collaborations with businesses and community organizations, the press release said. [Read more…]

AMSE: Current museum could close this month, with new home open this fall

Posted at 4:55 pm July 4, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The current location of the American Museum of Science and Energy on South Tulane Avenue could close at the end of July, and the museum could re-open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge in the early fall, officials said. The new location is pictured above under construction on Thursday, June 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

In the meantime, the museum might not be open a month or two as exhibits are moved, said Ken Tarcza, manager of the Oak Ridge Office for the U.S. Department of Energy. But DOE bus tours will continue, Tarcza said at a meeting to give an update about the AMSE project at Oak Ridge High School on June 14. Some specifics of the transition haven’t been worked out yet.

Tarcza said the new 18,000-square-foot museum will feature state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. It will be in renovated space on the north side of Main Street Oak Ridge near JCPenney. Besides exhibits and activities, the new museum will also have a lecture hall and two classrooms.

There will be four major categories featured in the museum, Tarcza said: energy leadership, “big science,” national security, and environmental restoration. Many of the exhibits at the current AMSE need to be refreshed, and the majority of the exhibits at the new location will have a brand-new design, Tarcza said. [Read more…]

Learn more about new AMSE on Thursday

Posted at 8:47 am June 14, 2018
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Image courtesy U.S. Department of Energy

You can learn more about the new American Museum of Science and Energy this evening (Thursday, June 14).

The “Informational Night” will be hosted from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Oak Ridge High School by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with its partners, the AMSE Foundation and the City of Oak Ridge, a press release said. The public is invited.

The session is intended to brief the local community about the progress made on the new AMSE facility and showcase the layout and design of the exhibits, the press release said. [Read more…]

Plan for former AMSE property shows possible grocery, tire store, retail/restaurant

Posted at 10:50 pm March 6, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Image from Oak Ridge Community Development Department’s staff report for TN Oak Ridge Illinois PUD Final Master Plan, to be considered by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, March 8, 2018. This image shows the location and types of businesses that could locate on the 7.4-acre site.

A final master plan for about 7.4 acres south of the American Museum of Science and Energy shows possible businesses that could include a grocery or retail store of about 55,000 square feet and smaller businesses that could include a tire store and retail/restaurant.

The businesses would be on former AMSE property that is now vacant land at the intersection of South Illinois Avenue and South Tulane Avenue.

The final master plan for the planned unit development, or PUD, will be considered during a special meeting of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday. The special meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue. A work session will follow at 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Planning Commission to consider final master plan for property south of AMSE

Posted at 11:51 pm March 5, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday will consider a final master plan for about seven acres of land south of the American Museum of Science and Energy, property that was once part of the museum site.

During Thursday’s special meeting, the Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a final master plan for a planned unit development, or PUD, for the 7.4 acres, which is at the intersection of South Tulane Avenue and South Illinois Avenue.

The plan is to be submitted by TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC, a company affiliated with RealtyLink, which is developing Main Street Oak Ridge at the former Oak Ridge Mall. A copy of the PUD final master plan wasn’t available Monday afternoon.

The special meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue. A work session will follow at 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Mattress Firm open on South Illinois

Posted at 10:07 pm January 14, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The new Mattress Firm store is pictured above on South Illinois Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A Mattress Firm store is now open on South Illinois Avenue.

The store is near Panda Express, a relatively new restaurant that is, like, Mattress Firm, on property that was once home to a Ruby Tuesday restaurant near Walmart, Rutgers Avenue, and Main Street Oak Ridge.

On its website, Mattress Firm says it has more than 3,500 company-operated and franchised stores across 49 states and the largest geographic footprint in the United States among multi-brand mattress retailers. The company was founded in 1986, and it is based in Houston. [Read more…]