Oak Ridge Today

State grant of more than $900,000 to be used for Turnpike sidewalks

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A state grant of more than $900,000 will be used to complete sidewalks along the south side of Oak Ridge Turnpike from Illinois Avenue to Fairbanks Road, including along this stretch of roadway between Lafayette Drive and Division Road, pictured on Wednesday, July 6, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 8:45 a.m. July 7.

Oak Ridge has received a state transportation grant of more than $900,000, and it will be used to complete sidewalks along the south side of Oak Ridge Turnpike between Illinois Avenue and Fairbanks Road, officials said Wednesday.

The $927,021.40 Multimodal Access Grant is from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

It’s one of 14 grants worth a total of about $10.3 million awarded this year, according to information from TDOT. Other cities receiving grants in the Knoxville area were Lenoir City—$899,394.30 for an SR2/Broadway Multimodal Access Project—and Gatlinburg—$396,036 for US 321 Safety Upgrades and Trolley Stop.

In Oak Ridge, the grant will be used to help build a continuous sidewalk on the south side of the Turnpike from Illinois to Fairbanks.

The current standard requires sidewalks in front of new buildings when they face the Turnpike. So, there are short stretches of new sidewalks in front of The Donut Palace and Zaxby’s restaurant, both relatively new businesses, interspersed with sections of no sidewalks in front of Martin Funeral Home and First Presbyterian Church between Lafayette Drive and Division Road. [Read more…]

RealtyLink at Main Street preparing for mall demolition

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The sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall closed Thursday, and executives from RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge, were at the 58-acre site on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, preparing for the demolition of enclosed spaces between Belk and JCPenney, the two remaining anchors. From left are Matt Usry, RealtyLink project manager; Brett Rogers, RealtyLink construction director; and Brad Gunn, RealtyLink property manager. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall closed Thursday, and executives from RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge, were at the 58-acre site on Tuesday, preparing for demolition.

Three executives at the site on Tuesday morning were Matt Usry, RealtyLink project manager; Brett Rogers, RealtyLink construction director; and Brad Gunn, RealtyLink property manager.

The company is scheduled to meet with city staff, contractors, and subcontractors this afternoon (Tuesday, July 5) to review demolition and construction plans. Among the topics expected to be discussed are utility disconnections at the mostly empty mall.

Plans call for demolishing the enclosed spaces between Belk and JCPenney, the two remaining anchor stores. Utility disconnects near Belk could start Monday, July 11, and demolition machinery could be at Main Street Oak Ridge the week of July 18, officials said. [Read more…]

Mall demolition could start week of July 18

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Goody's Family Clothing Oak Ridge June 30 2016

The existing enclosed space between Belk and JCPenney, the two remaining anchors at the former Oak Ridge Mall, is expected to be demolished, including this former Goody’s Family Clothing store near JCPenney. The sale of the 58-acre former mall site has closed, an executive said on Friday, July 1, 2016. RealtyLink of Greenville, South Carolina, plans to redevelop the 58-acre site as Main Street Oak Ridge, a mixed-use development that could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3 p.m.

Demolition of parts of the former Oak Ridge Mall could start the week of July 18, an executive said Friday.

Construction of the first new stores could start in October, next to Belk, said Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, a development company based in Greenville, South Carolina.

A demolition crew will be at the roughly 58-acre site on Tuesday, but they may not be noticed right away because they might be inside. Workers first have to shut down the utilities that serve the old mall, Wilson said, and that could take a few days. [Read more…]

Four more stores announced at Main Street Oak Ridge

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Oak Ridge Mall

The former Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street Oak Ridge, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. JCPenney is near the bottom right of the “L” and Belk is near the top left. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3 p.m.

Four stores had already been announced at Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

On Friday, Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, the South Carolina company redeveloping the mall, announced four more.

The four stores that had already been announced were Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, T.J. Maxx, and Ulta. [Read more…]

Mall sale has closed, executives say

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JCPenney Oak Ridge June 30 2016

The JCPenney store at the former Oak Ridge Mall, which has more recently been known as Oak Ridge City Center, is pictured above. The sale of the roughly 58-acre site has closed, Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, said Friday, July 1, 2016. RealtyLink of Greenville, South Carolina, plans to redevelop the site, which also includes a Belk store, as Main Street Oak Ridge, a mixed-use development that could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 p.m.

The sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall has closed, executives said Friday morning.

The sale was confirmed by Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, which had owned the property, and Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, the new developer.

The new owner is TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC, a company set up by RealtyLink, which is based in Greenville, South Carolina. The purchase price was $6.3 million, and the sale closed late Thursday evening, Wilson said.

RealtyLink plans to redevelop the roughly 58-acre site, which includes a Belk and JCPenney, as a mixed-use development known as Main Street Oak Ridge. It could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel.

“We’re excited for what this project will do for Oak Ridge,” Arnsdorff said. “This community deserves this. We’re excited this is happening.”

“I think what I would like to point out is that it’s a great day for Oak Ridge and for the city to sort of embrace this new mall,” Wilson said. [Read more…]

Readers ask about Walmart-Crown American covenants; read them here

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Workers from Masstar Signs of Greenville, S.C., install a new shopping center pylon sign at South Illinois Avenue and East Tulsa Road that announces Main Street Oak Ridge, the planned $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall. Pictured above on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, is Will Biggs of Masstar Signs. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

When the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall is discussed, it’s not unusual to hear residents ask questions or raise concerns about the so-called Walmart covenants. Those are probably the most frequently cited covenants or restrictions in place at the former mall site.

But they’re not the only ones. Oak Ridge retail consultant Ray Evans said Cinemark Tinseltown theater, JCPenney, Belk, and Staples also have rights on the site redevelopment plan. As an example, some rights are related to not interfering with some nearby parking or roadways at certain times of the year.

Evans said it’s not true that the Walmart covenants have prevented redevelopment of the property. More generally, it’s not unusual in a redevelopment to have many people who have lots of rights, Evans said.

He said the Walmart covenants had no impact on the proposed redevelopment by RealtyLink, a project known as Main Street Oak Ridge. In fact, he thinks RealtyLink would probably say that Walmart was easy to work with, Evans said. [Read more…]

Recording of subdivision plat for mall redevelopment shows comfort among attorneys, consultant says

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Oak Ridge Mall

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 5:30 p.m.

The subdivision plat for Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, was on its way to the Anderson County Register of Deeds to be recorded on Tuesday afternoon, said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.

That means the attorneys for both the buyer and the seller were comfortable enough with their progress to have the plat recorded, Evans said.

Officials said last week that RealtyLink, the proposed developer, is on track to close on the sale of the roughly 60-acre mall site by the end of June. It’s currently owned by Oak Ridge City Center LLC.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission added a lot to the subdivision plat for the proposed redevelopment in April, creating 11 interior lots. Officials said that requested change had to do with project financing, and it was a minor change from what was approved several months earlier. [Read more…]

Mall sale still on track for closing by end of month

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Oak Ridge Mall

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The closing on the sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall is proceeding, and it is still on track to close by the end of June, a city consultant said Friday.

“Everything we’re hearing is that they are still on track to close by the end of the month,” said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.

Evans said officials have been in contact with the RealtyLink, the mall redeveloper, this week, and RealtyLink and the city staff have been discussing construction sequencing.

“We’ve had multiple meetings on that this week,” Evans said. [Read more…]

Letter: Asked Council to proceed with caution on AMSE transfer

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Note: This letter was sent to Oak Ridge City Council members before the Monday evening vote on a property transfer resolution related to Main Street Oak Ridge and American Museum of Science and Energy.

Members of Oak Ridge City Council:

I have several questions regarding the proposed transfer of the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) land and surrounding property to the newest mall developers. My questions arise from 45 years of tax-paying residency in Oak Ridge, and decades of hearing  many eventually broken promises about mall redevelopment.

(1) What will happen to the Museum? The AMSE has been a showcase (somewhat faded in recent years due to DOE neglect) for Oak Ridge’s proud history. With the advent of the Manhattan Project National Park, its significance would seem to be enhanced. It will take  years for the National Park Service to finalize its plans and perhaps develop a local headquarters for the park, and so the Museum would appear to be especially important now. If the mall developers do take possession, will the Museum simply be bulldozed, in the hope of attracting more retail establishments? Given the city’s previous experience with organized retail development, I can easily imagine a large pile of bare dirt sitting undisturbed for decades, perhaps with an abandoned rusty earthmover on top, where we once had a monument to our history and scientific leadership, and a resource for teachers and tourists. [Read more…]

Council agrees to negotiate on AMSE property for Main Street; DOE wants to dispose of museum

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The American Museum of Science and Energy property is pictured above in central Oak Ridge. The wide road running vertically at center-right through the aerial photo is South Tulane Avenue. The proposed Main Street Oak Ridge would be on the right side of South Tulane Avenue at the former Oak Ridge Mall. The road running horizontally at bottom is South Illinois Avenue. AMSE is the brown-roofed building at top-center.

The American Museum of Science and Energy property is pictured above in central Oak Ridge. The wide road running vertically at center-right through the aerial photo is South Tulane Avenue. The proposed Main Street Oak Ridge would be on the right side of South Tulane Avenue at the former Oak Ridge Mall. The road running horizontally at bottom is South Illinois Avenue. AMSE is the brown-roofed building at top-center.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m. June 16.

The Oak Ridge City Council agreed Monday to allow the city manager to negotiate with federal officials and the company redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall for the transfer of the American Museum of Science and Energy property—if the federal government wants to get rid of it.

And it appears that the federal government does want to dispose of the museum. The U.S. Department of Energy has asked the federal General Services Administration, which disposes of federal property, for help with that process, said Claire Sinclair of Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office Public Affairs. GSA took on that role last week.

But the transfer of federal property such as AMSE usually takes a few years, Sinclair said, and if a new use were proposed for the museum property, adequate public notice would be given. ORNL manages AMSE for DOE.

In the meantime, AMSE is expected to continue operating, officials said.

Under the resolution approved by Council on Monday, the 17.12 acres of federal property at the AMSE site could be transferred to the city. Or RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the mall, could negotiate directly with federal officials. The U.S. Department of Energy owns the museum, and it would work on any proposed transfer through the General Services Administration. [Read more…]

DOE sites provided $1.5 million in funding for AMSE in FY 2015

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AMSE Community Meeting Audience

The auditorium at the American Science and Energy Museum in Oak Ridge was nearly full during a community meeting to discuss AMSE’s future in July 2014. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Three U.S. Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge provided $1.5 million in funding for the American Museum of Science and Energy in Fiscal Year 2015, an official said Monday.

The funding varies each year, and the funding for Fiscal Year 2016, the current fiscal year, hasn’t been determined, said Claire Sinclair, a spokesperson in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office Public Affairs. ORNL manages AMSE for DOE, which owns the museum.

In FY 2015, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex each contributed $630,000 to AMSE, and the East Tennessee Technology Park provided $240,000. That’s a major portion of AMSE funding, the museum says on its website. (AMSE also has memberships, and the museum charges for admission.)

Questions about the future of AMSE have been raised as the Oak Ridge City Council considers a resolution on how the city would like the land transferred, if the DOE and General Services Administration decide to dispose of the property at some point in the future. [Read more…]

AMSE: Transfer of federal property usually takes few years, public notice would be given

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AMSE Sign

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

 

AMSE over-sized, operationally challenged, spokesperson says

The transfer of federal property such as the American Museum of Science and Energy usually takes a few years, and if a new use were proposed for the AMSE property, adequate public notice would be given, an official said Monday.

There has been no public announcement that the federal government wants to get rid of the 17.12 acres of federal property that includes AMSE.

But the Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution tonight (Monday, June 13) that would allow City Manager Mark Watson to negotiate with the U.S. Department of Energy and General Services Administration, as well as the company redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall, for the property transfer. The GSA is responsible for disposing of federal property.

RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the 58-acre mall site, has said that any redevelopment of the AMSE property that competes with its project, known as Main Street Oak Ridge, would be devastating to its efforts to provide the city a much-needed, quality, retail-centered mixed-use town center. RealtyLink said it must be able to control the redevelopment of the AMSE property. [Read more…]