Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Chamber selects new president/CEO

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Christine Michaels

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has selected Christine Michaels as the new president and chief executive officer of the organization.

Michaels replaces Parker Hardy, who retired this summer after a 24-year career at the Chamber.

As president/CEO, Michaels will be responsible for advancing the business interests in the community and serving the membership in the areas of leadership growth, residential growth, advocacy, economic growth, and community alignment, a press release said.

Michaels comes to the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce from within the chamber of commerce industry as president and CEO of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While at the 700-member Greater Fayetteville Chamber, Michaels introduced new entrepreneurship opportunities for exiting military personnel and served on several task forces for city development, including as a member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization advisory committee. During her tenure, she increased member retention by 15 percent, supervised a staff of five employees, and managed a $700,000 budget.

[Read more…]

Watch briefing about proposed motorsports park on Monday

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Part of the site where a test track and research facility or motorsports park could be built on the back side of Horizon Center in west Oak Ridge is pictured above on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

There will be a briefing on Monday afternoon about the proposed Oak Ridge Motorsports Park at Horizon Center, and you can watch it online.

Oak Ridge Today has reported that the proposed project could cover more than 300 acres at Horizon Center, an industrial and business park in west Oak Ridge, and it could cost more than $50 million.

In February, H.E. Bittle III of Hardin Valley Land Partners, the potential developer, told city officials that the planned motorsports park would have a road course that is suitable for events sanctioned by the FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) such as Formula E, Indy Car, IMSA, NASA, and other sanctioning bodies.

Besides the race course, the motorsports park would have an amphitheater with a mix of permanent and lawn seating for more than 7,000 people, similar to the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Bittle said.

Other planned amenities, he said, include a karting track, paddock club, club house, restaurants, pro shop, garages, day and overnight lodging, meeting and conference space, a recreational vehicle park, and public facilities that would include walking trails and outdoor meeting spaces.

[Read more…]

For members: New stores planned at Main Street, but construction suspended

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A crew works in the area of the second phase of construction of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The construction work has since been suspended. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 7:45 p.m.

Four new stores are planned at Main Street Oak Ridge, but construction has been suspended for now.

 

A crew works in the area of the second phase of construction of Main Street Oak Ridge on Thursday, March 5, 2020. The construction work has since been suspended. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Four new stores are planned at Main Street Oak Ridge, but construction has been suspended for now.

The four new stores are Five Below, Home Goods, Old Navy, and Ross Dress for Less. The retailers have signed leases, and their stores could be ready to open as soon as the spring of 2021, said Neil Wilson, principal of the development company, TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC. The new stores would be between JCPenney and PetSmart. That includes some of the area where the roundabout used to be.

But construction of the building that would contain the new stores has been suspended.

“Retailers are postponing the opening of new stores and re-thinking the size and configuration of store footprints,” Wilson told Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson in an April 20 letter. “As a result, the retail developers are delaying the construction of the building to house those new stores.”

Wilson said TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC is trying hard to get the project back into its development timeline in 60 days. The storage facility, which has previously been considered by city officials, is part of the effort to get the project back on track, he said.

Wilson said retailers are suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the estimated growth in global retail for 2020 will be cut in half from the levels that were forecast before COVID-19.

The types of stores that will be hit the hardest are “short-term, fashion, furniture, and electronics retailers,” Wilson said. Customers will buy fewer of those discretionary items, choosing instead to stock up on food and household supplies.

But in the meantime, construction could proceed quickly on a three-story self-storage facility at Main Street Oak Ridge. It would be along Rutgers Avenue, behind Burkes Outlet, Electronic Express, and PetSmart. The self-storage market is doing well, Wilson said.

Some residents and city officials, including members of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, have opposed the proposed self-storage facility or shown little interest in it.

But in a split vote Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council voted 4-3 to approve a zoning change that could allow it. The zoning ordinance amendment, which did not specifically approve the Main Street Oak Ridge project, is expected to be considered for final approval during another City Council meeting in June.

The rest of this story, which includes background information and information about the City Council vote, is available if you are a member: an advertiser, sponsor, or subscriber to Oak Ridge Today.

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Hardy retiring from Oak Ridge Chamber

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Parker Hardy

 

Parker Hardy will retire next summer after more than 20 years as president and chief executive officer of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

Hardy has been president and CEO of the Chamber since November 1996. Under his leadership, the Chamber received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber of the Year designation in 2010, a press release said.

“During Hardy’s tenure, the Chamber has played a vital role in recruiting new retail to (the) city, including the Main Street development, as well as the Marriott TownePlace Suites,” the press release said. “Residential development has been a key area of focus for the Chamber as well. The Chamber has been instrumental in recruiting residential developers now building in The Preserve, Groves Park Commons, and Forest Creek Village. The Chamber also was instrumental in the attraction of Bristol Park, Centennial Village, and Centennial Bluff multi-family developments.” [Read more…]

Call center relocates to Oak Ridge

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Avant LLC

Avant LLC hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. Avant recently relocated its call center operations to Commerce Park in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

Avant LLC recently announced that the company has completed the relocation of its call center operations from nearby Louisville to Commerce Park in Oak Ridge.

This completes a year-long series of planning discussions that started in the fall of 2018, a press release said. The financial services company currently employs 200 people in the region. Site director Steve Massey expects that number to grow to between 350 and 400 in 2020.

“Our move has been very successful so far, and we are looking forward to growing with Oak Ridge into a bright future here,” Massey said.

“It’s exciting to see a company that is growing and already has plans to increase employment levels come into the City of Oak Ridge,” said Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]

Frank Callaghan Towers to be renovated, renamed

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LHP Capital Closing Fairbanks Tower Sept 3 2019
Officials from LHP Capital and the City of Oak Ridge celebrate the closing of a transaction that will enable LHP to acquire and renovate Frank Callaghan Tower, an affordable housing community for seniors on fixed incomes. Pictured above from left to right on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, are Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board Chair David Wilson, LHP Development President Carr Hagan, and LHP Development CEO Alvin Nance. (Submitted photo)

The Frank Callaghan Towers on Fairbanks Road in Oak Ridge will be renovated and renamed, a housing developer and manager said this week.

Officials with LHP Capital LLC announced Tuesday that they have signed the last document necessary to close on the acquisition and renovation of Oak Ridge’s Frank Callaghan Towers. That’s a 110-unit affordable rental housing community for seniors 62 and older and adults with disabilities, and it is located at 115 Fairbanks Road in east Oak Ridge.

LHP will oversee more than $5.8 million in renovations to the property, which was originally constructed in the late 1970s, a press release said. The sale to LHP will assure preservation of the property’s affordability status under federal guidelines, the press release said. LHP will also manage the apartments.

The renovations to the property will begin immediately and will start with a new name, according to Carr Hagan, president, LHP Development, a division of Knoxville-based LHP Capital, a real estate development firm specializing in affordable housing.

[Read more…]

Dairy Queen coming to Oak Ridge

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A Dairy Queen restaurant will be located at the corner of Rutgers Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike, where a Taco Bell restaurant used to be. Workers were at the site on Monday morning, Aug. 19, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 5 p.m. Aug. 20.

Dairy Queen is coming to Oak Ridge.

The Dairy Queen will be located at the corner of Rutgers Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike, where a Taco Bell restaurant used to be. A new Taco Bell has been built east on the Turnpike, at the intersection with Bus Terminal Road.

Workers were at the Dairy Queen restaurant site on Monday, putting up a “DQ Coming Soon!” sign and unloading construction equipment.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber’s Christmas Parade award winners announced

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The Southern Alliance Dance Company (SADC), winner of the Director's Award, clogged a Christmas routine on the parade route. (Photo courtesy Ray Smith)

The Southern Alliance Dance Company (SADC), winner of the Director’s Award, clogged a Christmas routine on the parade route in the 2017 Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. (Photo courtesy Ray Smith)

 

A cold, snowy night seemed a fitting way to celebrate one of Oak Ridge’s favorite tradition—the Oak Ridge Christmas Parade. Approximately 120 entries participated in the parade. This year’s parade theme was “A Toyland Christmas” and was a part of the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Oak Ridge.

Judges awarded seven awards following the parade: [Read more…]

U.S. Chamber awards Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce with four-star accreditation

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

The United States Chamber of Commerce has awarded the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce with four-star accreditation for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the community, a press release said.

“Accreditation validates a chamber as having programs that benefit their local economy and for positively influencing action in their community,” said Raymond P. Towle, vice president of Federation Relations and Institute for Organization Management. “We applaud these organizations for advancing the principles of free enterprise.”

Accreditation is the only national program that recognizes chambers for their effective organizational procedures and community involvement, the press release said. In order to receive accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, and technology.

This extensive self-review can take six-nine months to complete, the press release said. [Read more…]

Housing report recommends more new homes, rental units

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and its Housing Task Force, which was chaired by Melinda Hillman, right, presented a housing report to the Oak Ridge City Council during a non-voting work session on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and its Housing Task Force, which was chaired by Melinda Hillman, right, present a housing report to the Oak Ridge City Council during a non-voting work session on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. At left is Parker Hardy, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce president. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The competition to provide housing for workers is fierce, and Oak Ridge needs more new homes in the $180,000-$280,000 price range and more rental units in the $900-$1,200 price range, according to a housing report presented to Oak Ridge City Council by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

Also proposed in the housing report: the development of attractive, convenient mixed use gathering spaces; improving the appearance of existing neighborhoods through aggressive codes enforcement; beautification projects in public spaces to make Oak Ridge more appealing; developing and implementing a consistent “brand” for Oak Ridge that encompasses livability, economic development, and tourism; incentivizing home improvements in the Manhattan District Overlay; and developing public/private partnerships to work on housing.

The report, which was presented to City Council in a non-voting work session on Tuesday, studied where Oak Ridge employees live, based upon the zip codes of 7,372 employees from eight major Oak Ridge employers. It found that 22 percent of Oak Ridge workers live in Oak Ridge. That’s compared to 44 percent who live in Knox County, primarily in Farragut, Hardin Valley, Northshore, Karns, and Cedar Bluff.

Ten percent of the Oak Ridge workers live in Roane County, 6 percent live in Clinton, and less than five percent each live in Loudon, Blount, Morgan, and other counties, the report said.

The housing report only reviewed Oak Ridge as it compares to the five most popular communities where people who work in Oak Ridge choose to live (Farragut, Hardin Valley, Northshore, Karns, and Cedar Bluff).

“Competition for residents is fierce, and Oak Ridge competes with some of the most desirable communities in the region,” the report said. [Read more…]

Some JCPenney stores closing, but not Oak Ridge

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jcpenney-main-street-oak-ridge-oct-14-2016

The JCPenney in Oak Ridge is not among the 138 stores closing across the country, the company said Friday, March 17, 2017. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m.

The JCPenney in Oak Ridge is not among the 138 stores closing across the country, the company said.

Three Tennessee stores are closing. One is at Knoxville Center, another is at Greeneville Commons, and the third is at County Market Place in Union City.

JCPenney said the closures are “part of a continuing effort to advance sustainable growth and long-term profitability.”

Parker Hardy, president of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, said JCPenney is a “linchpin” store for the new Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

“JCPenney has been a very important part of our retail mix—particularly for apparel—ever since Mr. Penney participated in the original grand opening,” Hardy said Friday. “Penney always has been a draw for Oak Ridgers and for customers who live outside the city but inside our broader retail trade area…The fact that Penney is staying with Oak Ridge while closing stores in nearby cities says something strong about their confidence in Main Street, their confidence in our market, and their confidence in our business climate.” [Read more…]

After acquiring more land, Protomet evaluating Oak Ridge for $30 million expansion

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protomet-nov-22-2016-web

Protomet Corporation is pictured above in the Bethel Valley Industrial Park in south Oak Ridge on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Jeff-Bohanan-Feb-2-2016

Jeff Bohanan

Protomet Corporation has purchased about 20 acres of former federal land on Bethel Valley Road in south Oak Ridge, and the company is evaluating that property as one option as it plans for a $30 million expansion that could add 200 jobs over a five-year period.

On Tuesday, Protomet founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bohanan said the company prefers to stay in Oak Ridge, but there is no guarantee. The 19.47-acre parcel on Bethel Valley Road will have to be cut and filled, and drainage will have to be redirected, Bohanan said. It’s not clear yet how much that work might cost.

Protomet needs about 100,000 square feet for its expansion, which was announced in February. Protomet now has 70 workers in a 40,000-square-foot building on eight acres, so the company could more than triple in size.

“The new facility will dramatically increase Protomet’s capacity and capabilities for the customers it serves,” Bohanan said. “We have already started purchasing equipment for the new facility, and some of it is already in use at our current facility.”

Protomet bought the Bethel Valley Road land from the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board for $103,000 on October 20. The property, which was previously owned by the U.S. Department of Energy, is west of Protomet and east of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“This is a big step in our ability to evaluate this site as an option,” Bohanan said. [Read more…]