The Red Cross building, which was the city’s housing office during World War II, is for sale. The building, which is on Oak Ridge Turnpike, is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The Red Cross building, which was used as the city’s housing office during World War II, is for sale.
The American Red Cross had been in the building since 1945, but it last had a part-time employee there in 2014.
It’s one of the few original Oak Ridge buildings remaining on Oak Ridge Turnpike or Illinois Avenue, said Mick Wiest, president of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.
A Red Cross official said the organization is trying to lower its overhead across the country and occupy fewer buildings. That leaves more money to serve clients, said Michelle Hankes, executive director of the Red Cross East Tennessee Chapter Office, which is based in Knoxville.
Much of the organization’s work is field work and can be conducted with a laptop and cell phone, Hankes said. [Read more…]
