Oak Ridge Today

Thursday ribbon-cutting for historic hotel converted into assisted living center

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Alexander Guest House Front Entrance Sept. 23, 2015

The front entrance is pictured above at the Alexander Guest House, which converted the beloved but long-vacant Alexander Inn into an assisted living center. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled for Thursday evening at The Alexander Guest House, a historic hotel converted into an assisted living center.

The ceremony is scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 5. The ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m., according to the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

“Following this ribbon-cutting, please plan to attend an open house,” organizers said. “We hope you’ll join us to celebrate.”

The Alexander Guest House, which has 64 apartments, is located at 210 East Madison Road in Oak Ridge.

Preserving the former Alexander Inn had been a dream for years. In September, Rick Dover of Dover Development of East Tennessee, said the two-year, $8 million construction and renovation project was almost finished. [Read more…]

New developer plans to close on former mall on Dec. 15

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Neil Wilson of RealtyLink at Rise and Shine on Nov. 3, 2015

Neil Wilson, left, principal of RealtyLink, gives an update on the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall at an Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Rise and Shine at TNBank on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 a.m.

The new company leading the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall plans to close on the property on December 15, an executive said Tuesday. It’s the first time a closing date has been announced by one of the developers associated with the project.

The new developer, RealtyLink, plans to have a minimum of seven stores open by Christmas 2016, Principal Neil Wilson said. That would include four stores adjacent to Belk and two adjacent to Walmart.

Wilson declined to name the stores but said the new mixed-use development, called Main Street Oak Ridge, could include a sporting goods store, a cosmetics retailer, one or two apparel merchants, and a 20,000-square-foot electronics shop that has signed a letter of intent. There could be a total of about 150,000 square feet of retail in those stores. There are roughly 130,000 square feet of retail at JCPenney and Belk, which will have a new facade and entrance.

Wilson said his company, which is based in Greenville, South Carolina, wants to start demolition on the enclosed spaces between the two remaining anchors, Belk and JCPenney, the day after it closes on the purchase of the roughly 60-acre property in the center of Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Land Bank hosting neighborhood strategy work session

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Partnership Strategy Agenda Flyer Nov. 6, 2015

The Oak Ridge Land Bank Corporation is hosting a strategy work session November 6 to focus on partnerships and “collaborative efforts to improve and promote our Oak Ridge neighborhoods,” a press release said. The work session is from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, November 6, at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

Agenda items include demonstrated successes, a small group exercise, and a group discussion.

For reservations, contact Alicia Bailey at the City of Oak Ridge at (865) 425-3531 or by email at abailey@oakridgetn.gov by Wednesday, November 4.

Oak Ridge to celebrate new Manhattan Project Park on Nov. 12

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Ernest Moniz

Ernest Moniz

Oak Ridge will have two community events on November 12 to celebrate the establishment of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. That proposal has been in the works for years to commemorate the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II.

The legislation authorizing the park was signed into law in December 2014, and it designated sites in Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Hanford, Washington as a new three-site national park.

The Oak Ridge City Council has designated the week of November 9-15 as
“The Manhattan Project National Historical Park Week.”

Events have been scheduled at Oak Ridge High School and in Historic Jackson Square on Thursday, November 12, two days after a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. The two Oak Ridge events will celebrate the establishment of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. [Read more…]

Chamber has Primetime networking on Thursday; public invited

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has its Fall Primetime networking event on Thursday, October 22, and the public is invited.

More than 60 Chamber-member organizations have already reserved exhibit space for the event titled “Primetime Tailgate Party.” It will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. under the tent in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Primetime is one of the Chamber’s biggest networking events of the year, a press release said.

“Anyone—Chamber member or not—is encouraged to attend,” the release said. [Read more…]

Dale Carnegie Leadership Essential Workshop Series starts October 15

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has once again teamed up with Dale Carnegie of Tennessee to offer a six-workshop series on Leadership Essentials. A discount is available for members of the Chamber and for those who register for all six sessions.

The first session will be held on October 15 from 8-10 a.m. at the Chamber, located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Session one is entitled “Present With Impact.” Effective presentation begins with establishing the objectives of the message and narrowing down to the key points a presenter wants to leave with listeners, a press release said. It is also important to open with impact to create a positive first impression and close with power to leave a lasting final image. Good facilitators use a variety of evidence to support their key points and link the message together to communicate with logic and precision.

Cost for members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is $30 per session or $150 for all six. Cost for non-members is $50 per session or $250 for all six. If one person from an organization isn’t available to attend all six, another person from that organization may attend instead for no additional fee. [Read more…]

New Goodwill store now open

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Goodwill Staff, Business Leaders, Oak Ridge Chamber on Sept. 18, 2015

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce organized a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Goodwill store on Emory Valley Road on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The new Goodwill store on Emory Valley Road opened on Friday, September 18.

The new store replaces the former Oak Ridge Goodwill, which was located on South Illinois Avenue.

There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new store on Friday, September 18.

“The new location…will provide a brighter shopping space with a significantly larger center for job training efforts,” the company said.

Executives said the new store, located at 697 Emory Valley Road, next to the new Hank’s Market, will continue to receive and sell donations of gently used clothing and household goods. Proceeds from the sale of goods in this and other Goodwill stores will fund job training programs and employment opportunities for people with barriers to employment in and around Oak Ridge, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber launches membership campaign

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Keys Fillauer

Keys Fillauer

Under the leadership of two long-time community leaders, Keys Fillauer and Darrel Kohlhorst, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce kicked off a new member recruitment campaign on Thursday, September 10. The campaign is focused on identifying new members to bring into the Chamber between now and October 15, a press release said.

“Nearly 100 committed volunteers are working to grow the Oak Ridge Chamber’s collective influence and financial resources,” said Melinda Hillman, vice president of Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge Campus and chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. “That represents almost a quarter of the Chamber’s current membership working to expand their organization. Personally, I am appreciative and excited that so many are involved in this effort.”

There are five captains serving as coaches and cheerleaders for the campaign. The five captains are:

  • Rhoni Badsen of Girls Inc.;
  • Bruce Borchers of Oak Ridge Schools;
  • Katy Brown of Comcast Spotlight;
  • Jim Normand of Joyce, Meredith, Flitcroft, and Normand; and
  • Steve Whitson of H-S Whitson Construction.

[Read more…]

Hank’s Market opened Tuesday

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Hank's Market Ribbon-cutting

Hank’s Market opened before this ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Hank’s Market, the new grocery store in east Oak Ridge, opened Tuesday. It’s in the space formerly used by Food Lion on Emory Valley Road.

It’s the second Hank’s store. The original store is in Washington, Indiana.

Hank’s has been interested in the former Food Lion site since Food Lion closed its Oak Ridge store last summer, said Tony Malanga, an East Tennessee-based district manager for the parent company, Houchens Food Group in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

“We had an opportunity with the Food Lion closing here,” Malanga said at a Tuesday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

The new store opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday, and it is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. [Read more…]

Community tour of Oak Ridge Schools on Aug. 25

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There will be a tour of elementary, middle and high school classrooms on Tuesday, August 25, from 8 a.m.-2:45 p.m.

“See how Oak Ridge teachers and students are teaching and learning while school is in session,” a press release said.

The day will begin at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, then will proceed through an elementary school, middle school, and high school for classroom visits. Lunch will be provided. [Read more…]

Admiral Title has ribbon-cutting

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Admiral Title Ribbon-cutting

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce member Admiral Title Inc. celebrated a ribbon-cutting on Aug. 13. (Photo submitted by Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce)

 

Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce member Admiral Title Inc. celebrated a ribbon-cutting on August 13. Admiral Title Inc. has expanded their business to Oak Ridge at 133 Lafayette Drive Suite 101.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Admiral Title on Aug. 13

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There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Admiral Title on Lafayette Drive on Thursday, August 13.

The ceremony is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. August 13, and it’s been organized by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon-cutting is scheduled at 5 p.m.

Admiral Title is located at 113 Lafayette Drive, Suite 101, in Oak Ridge.

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