Main Street—Oak Ridge Archives - Page 12 of 16

Chamber supports AMSE land transfer resolution

Posted at 11:03 am June 13, 2016
By John Huotari 8 Comments

The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on November 15, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 a.m. June 14.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce supports a resolution that would allow the city manager to negotiate with business executives and federal officials to transfer about 17 acres of federal property at the American Museum of Science and Energy to help Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the land transfer resolution during a meeting tonight (Monday, June 13). Under that resolution, the 17.12 acres could either be transferred to the city or to RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the mall. The transfer would also include 1.87 acres of city-owned land that are on the north, south, and west sides of the AMSE property.

On Friday, Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy said the Chamber supports the land transfer resolution.

“It’s entirely consistent with our overall support for the Main Street Oak Ridge project,” Hardy said. “This has been a long time getting here, and we’re proud to lend our support.” [Read more…]

Main Street: Ready to close by end of June, AMSE property the one remaining hurdle

Posted at 5:22 pm June 9, 2016
By John Huotari 25 Comments

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 8 p.m. June 13.

RealtyLink, the developer that has proposed redeveloping the former Oak Ridge Mall, says it is ready to close on the roughly 60-acre site by the end of June and start construction immediately, but there is one last hurdle: The company is concerned about any redevelopment of the property across the street at the American Museum of Science and Energy that could compete with its proposed project, known as Main Street Oak Ridge.

So, RealtyLink has asked that, if the federal government wants to dispose of the AMSE property at some point in the future, the city would negotiate with the U.S. Department of Energy through the General Services Administration to either have the property transferred to the city, or allow RealtyLink to negotiate directly with DOE and GSA for a property transfer.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider a resolution allowing the city manager to start the negotiations, should they become necessary, during a meeting on Monday, June 13.

So far, DOE and GSA have not publicly announced plans to dispose of the 17.12 acres in and around AMSE. But there have been public discussions about what to do with the property during the past 15 years or so. DOE has said it is not in the museum business. [Read more…]

Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, T.J. Maxx, Ulta to locate at Main Street Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:13 pm May 3, 2016
By John Huotari 23 Comments

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)

Note: This story was last updated at 4:57 p.m.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, PetSmart, T.J. Maxx, and Ulta will have new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge, Mayor Warren Gooch said Tuesday.

Also, Belk and JCPenney are renewing their leases at the 58-acre site, Gooch said during a State of the City speech to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge.

“Negotiations with other major retailers are ongoing,” Gooch said.

The mayor got an update from Neil Wilson of RealtyLink, which took over as master developer in September, on Monday. Wilson told Gooch that RealtyLink has come to terms with both its senior construction lender and the tax increment financing construction lender.

“We are closer to the closing on the sale of the mall property and the start of construction,” Gooch said. [Read more…]

Main Street Oak Ridge update: City staff ready for mall redevelopment

Posted at 7:43 pm April 17, 2016
By John Huotari 6 Comments

Main-Street-Oak-Ridge-Sign-Install-Complete-Dec-21-2015

Site plans have been approved for the first phase of Main Street Oak Ridge—the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall—and construction drawings have been approved for most buildings in Phase I, a city official said Thursday.

The city staff is ready to issue demolition permits, and the staff has a utility disconnect “game plan,” said Kathryn Baldwin, director of Oak Ridge Community Development.

“We’re very much ready,” Baldwin said at a Thursday evening work session of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission will consider adding a lot to the subdivision plat for the roughly 60-acre site on Thursday. If approved, that change would create 11 interior lots. Officials said that requested change has to do with project financing and it’s a minor change from what was approved several months ago. [Read more…]

Hobby Lobby opening in Oak Ridge

Posted at 5:33 pm April 14, 2016
By John Huotari 4 Comments

Hobby Lobby has signed a lease at the former Kroger store on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, the company said Thursday, April 14, 2016. The company plans to start renovating the property around the beginning of June. The store is projected to open in September. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Hobby Lobby has signed a lease at the former Kroger store in Oak Ridge, the company said Thursday.

The company plans to start renovating the property around the beginning of June. The store is projected to open in September.

Hobby Lobby expects to hire 35 to 50 employees with full-time employees earning at least $15.35 and part-time employees earning at least $10.23 an hour.

“Hobby Lobby is constantly looking for locations to better serve our customers, and this location in Oak Ridge seems to fit the bill,” said Bob Miller, Hobby Lobby communications coordinator.”We look forward to getting the store up and running and being a part of the community. Including the Oak Ridge location, Hobby Lobby plans to open 50 stores this year.” [Read more…]

New stores at Main Street Oak Ridge appear unlikely by Christmas 2016

Posted at 2:55 am March 17, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Workers from Masstar Signs of Greenville, S.C., install a new shopping center pylon sign at South Illinois Avenue and East Tulsa Road announcing 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)

The developers haven’t confirmed it yet, but the construction of new stores at the former Oak Ridge Mall appears unlikely to be complete by the Christmas 2016 shopping season.

In November, RealtyLink said demolition at the 58-acre site could take four months and be complete by the end of this March or early next month, with construction possibly starting April 1.

RealtyLink had planned to turn over seven new stores to retailers in September 2016, and it was expected that they could open in October, in time for the holiday season.

But demolition has not started yet at the former mall property, now known as Main Street Oak Ridge.

Ray Evans, Oak Ridge retail consultant, said the opening before Christmas was predicated on demolition and construction starting in January 2016.

“For a variety of reasons, that couldn’t happen,” Evans said. [Read more…]

Council agenda: Preschool report, Waste Connections contract extension

Posted at 1:20 pm January 11, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Elm Grove Park in east Oak Ridge has been proposed as a site for a new preschool, and it’s considered the best potential location. The Oak Ridge City Council will consider accepting a report recommending that site during a 7 p.m. meeting on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Other items on the Oak Ridge City Council agenda tonight include possible acceptance of a report that recommends building a new preschool at Elm Grove Park and a five-year contract extension for Waste Connections of Tennessee, the city’s garbage and recyclables contractor.

As previously reported, tonight’s meeting (Monday, January 11) will also include a report on city manager evaluations, with possible discussion of a one-year contract extension and 2 percent pay raise, and a brief update on Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The preschool report was presented to Oak Ridge City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education in October. It came from the Joint City/Schools Preschool Planning Committee, which determined whether to remodel the 70-year-old Preschool building on New York Avenue, lease and renovate a building, or build a new one. [Read more…]

Evans, city’s retail consultant, to give brief mall update Monday

Posted at 6:20 pm January 10, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as Main Street Oak Ridge, a multi-use project with retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel, 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 Cinemark Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Ray Evans, the city’s retail consultant, will give a brief update on Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall, during a Monday evening meeting.

Evans will give the update during an Oak Ridge City Council meeting that starts at 7 p.m. Monday, January 11, in the Municipal Building Courtroom.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a re-subdivision for the $80 million project on Thursday. City officials said the re-subdivision was a required condition for the closing on the property.

RealtyLink, the new developer, has said they still plan to have some stores open at the site by the Christmas 2016 holiday shopping season. [Read more…]

Planning Commission approves re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge, the mall redevelopment

Posted at 5:27 pm January 10, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Planning Commission Main Street Oak Ridge Jan. 7, 2016

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved a re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall as a mixed-use development including retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin is standing at right. City staff members and representatives of RealtyLink, the development company, were also present. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge officials on Thursday approved a re-subdivision that was required for the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The re-subdivision includes 10 different lots, including one larger parcel in the center of the 58-acre site and other smaller lots. Officials said the re-subdivision was necessary for financial considerations, and it is a condition for closing on the property.

Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said the city has received notice the remediation is complete on the interior of the mostly empty mall, and construction drawings have been submitted for three buildings expected to receive permits. The new buildings could be erected next to Belk and in the area where Sears is now.

The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission approved the re-subdivision in an 8-0 vote during a special meeting Thursday. Planning commissioners present were Chair Stephen Whitson, Vice Chair Austin Lance, Secretary Claudia Lever, and members Charlie Hensley, Sharon Kohler, Jane Shelton, Hans Vogel, and Todd Wilson. [Read more…]

Planning Commission to consider re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge on Jan. 7

Posted at 3:02 pm December 30, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A re-subdivision for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall, will be considered on Thursday, January 7.

Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge, has previously said that a subdivision plat has to be approved by the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission before RealtyLink, the new developer, can close on the 58-acre site in the center of Oak Ridge.

The re-subdivision will be considered by the Planning Commission in a special-called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 7, in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Training Room. [Read more…]

Photos: Removing Oak Ridge Mall sign, installing Main Street Oak Ridge sign

Posted at 3:53 pm December 21, 2015
By John Huotari 26 Comments

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

They tore down the old Oak Ridge Mall sign on Wednesday and erected a new shopping center pylon sign on Monday. It announces Main Street Oak Ridge, the planned $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated and long-awaited projects in Oak Ridge. Here are photos from the removal of the former mall monument sign on Wednesday and the installation of the new pylon sign on Monday. See the story here.

Workers from Masstar Signs remove the old Oak Ridge Mall sign on South Illinois Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015. The mall redeveloper, RealtyLink, could close on the 60-acre property in January. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

[Read more…]

Another sign of progress: Workers install new sign announcing Main Street Oak Ridge

Posted at 1:25 pm December 21, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was last updated at 3:30 p.m.

Although it appears a small step to some, it is another sign of progress on the long-awaited, eagerly anticipated redevelopment of the mostly empty mall. It’s actually the biggest visible change at the mall property in years.

Local officials pointed out that the sign change wouldn’t have happened without the approval of the current owner, Oak Ridge City Center LLC. Also, the change presumably required the new developer, RealtyLink of South Carolina, to spend some money on the sign and its installation, officials said. [Read more…]

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