The American Museum of Science and Energy is at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge. (File photo by Sara Wise)
The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss the project to move the American Museum of Science and Energy from its current home on South Tulane Avenue to Main Street Oak Ridge.
Oak Ridge Today reported in November that construction documents had been submitted for the new museum at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall. It’s not clear when AMSE might open at its new home at Main Street Oak Ridge, but it will continue to be at its current location, where it’s been since the mid-1970s, past the end of the year.
AMSE is relocating to space that will be renovated in a two-story building that once housed a Sears Roebuck store next to JCPenney at what is now Main Street Oak Ridge. That planned move is part of an agreement that was signed by the city and DOE in December 2016. Under that agreement, the 17-acre AMSE site was to be transferred from the U.S. Department of Energy to the City of Oak Ridge.
The city is, in turn, transferring the AMSE property in two phases to TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC. That company was set up by RealtyLink, the developer of Main Street Oak Ridge.
The southernmost 7.44 acres of the AMSE site have already been transferred to TN Oak Ridge Illinois LLC. In November, the Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved a rezoning for that property, which could be developed with a grocery store, retail shops, and restaurants.
