Oak Ridge Today

Rock to Bach Music Festival is Feb. 16

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Kelle Jolly (Submitted photo)

Kelle Jolly (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association will present the seventh Rock to Bach Music Festival on Saturday, February 16.

The festival will be at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The all-day music festival, which is sponsored by TNBank, will treat attendees to multiple genres of live music performed on two stages throughout the day, a press release said.

The doors will open at 10 a.m., and Kelle Jolly will open the performances at 10:30, the press release said. [Read more…]

Pine Ridge building, property under contract; rest of Summit for sale for $3.5 million

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A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It's pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. A 30,000-square-foot building on the property is pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A building that is about 30,000 square feet and was once used to store documents on Pine Ridge for the Y-12 National Security Complex is under contract and in “due diligence,” according to an executive involved in the potential sale.

Also under contract is about 15 acres on Pine Ridge, also known as The Summit, a large piece of property that offers panoramic views from a ridge top above South Illinois Avenue in south Oak Ridge.

Noah Myers, principal broker with CornerStone Realty, said he hopes there is a closing on the building and land purchase this fall.

Separate from that potential purchase, there is about 85 acres of open land on Pine Ridge that is for sale for $3.5 million. It’s a mix of office and industrial property, Myers said. Utilities are in place, including roads, electricity, water, and sewer. [Read more…]

For sale: Pine Ridge property with panoramic views

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A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It's pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale. The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s pictured above on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A large ridge top tract of land that features panoramic views and was once proposed as the site of a Target retail development is now for sale.

It’s not clear how the property, which was cleared and graded more than a decade ago, might be used. There have been inquiries about multi-family apartments, single-family homes, and industrial uses, said Tom Tuck of TNBANK, which is based in Oak Ridge and now owns the property.

The land, which is also known as The Summit, is on Pine Ridge along South Illinois Avenue between Scarboro Road/Lafayette Drive and Centrifuge Way. It’s on the ridge top on the right side of the road as you head up the hill toward Centrifuge Way leaving Oak Ridge and driving to Knox County.

TNBANK foreclosed on the property in February. The previous owner was Revis Family LLC, according to Anderson County property records. [Read more…]

Harlem Ambassadors basketball show to benefit Habitat for Humanity

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Habitat for Humanity Harlem Ambassadors March 17 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County will host the Harlem Ambassadors basketball show at Oak Ridge High School on Friday evening. Oak Ridge firefighters have volunteered to be the opposing team.

The show is a benefit for Habitat for Humanity. It starts at 7 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Wildcat Arena.

“Please join us for an evening of entertainment, fun, and zany basketball,” organizers said. “The Ambassadors also bring the message ‘Stay in School, Stay off Drugs and Don’t be a Bully.'”

Tickets are only $5, and there will be plenty of food at the concession stand, organizers said. Advance tickets are available in Oak Ridge at TNBank at 401 South Illnois Avenue and at the Habitat ReStore at 105 Randolph Road. They can be purchased at the door on Friday night. [Read more…]

Countryside Tire and Auto gives car to Emory Valley Center at ribbon-cutting

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Countryside-Tire-and-Auto-Ribbon-Cutting-Feb-3-2017-Web

Business owners; city, county, and chamber of commerce officials; and others attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Countryside Tire and Auto Service on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Countryside Tire and Auto Service gave a car to Emory Valley Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new shop on South Rutgers Avenue on Friday.

The car is a brown-and-black 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser. The gift includes 12 months of repair and maintenance.

Goodyear Tires donated tires for the vehicle, and Advance Auto Parts donated parts, said Jeff Cheek, who owns Countryside Tire and Auto Service with his wife Marilyn.

Chris Levesque, who has worked at Countryside Tire and Auto Service for about three years, is an Emory Valley Center client. [Read more…]

Groundbreaking ceremony held for first new Habitat home in 2017

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Habitat for Humanity Morgan Groundbreaking January 2017

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County (HFHAC) has plans to build three new homes in Oak Ridge in 2017. Now, thanks to generous sponsors and construction volunteers, these plans are being realized, a press release said. The foundation has been dug for the first home, located at 214 North Illinois Avenue. (Submitted photo)

 

Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, or HFHAC, has plans to build three new homes in Oak Ridge in 2017.

“Now, thanks to all of the generous sponsors and construction volunteers, these plans are being realized!” a press release said.

The foundation has been dug for the first home, which is located at 214 North Illinois Avenue.

Representatives from UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, presented a $25,000 check to HFHAC during a January 5 groundbreaking ceremony. The donation will be used to purchase materials for the Morgan family home, the press release said. [Read more…]

Mall demolition begins with ceremonial groundbreaking, knocking down of wall

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Main Street Oak Ridge Groundbreaking July 20 2016

Demolition of the former Oak Ridge Mall began Wednesday, July 20, 2016, with a ceremonial groundbreaking and the knocking down of a wall near the former Goody’s store, starting construction on a 58-acre mixed-use retail development known as Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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

Demolition of the former Oak Ridge Mall began Wednesday with a ceremonial groundbreaking and the knocking down of a wall near the former Goody’s store, starting construction on a 58-acre mixed-use retail development known as Main Street Oak Ridge.

Demolition could last three months, and the construction of two new stores, T.J. Maxx and Dick’s Sporting Goods, could start where the former Sears building is in October. New stores could open in the spring of 2017.

Officials, business representatives, and the community celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday. About 300 or more people attended. After the groundbreaking on a hot, sunny summer afternoon, those celebrating, including children and adults, had a chance to spray graffiti on part of the old mall as a fundraiser for the renovation of Blankenship Field.

Main Street Oak Ridge is now the largest multi-tenant commercial retail project in the city, said Parker Hardy, president of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. [Read more…]

Mall sale has closed, executives say

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JCPenney Oak Ridge June 30 2016

The JCPenney store at the former Oak Ridge Mall, which has more recently been known as Oak Ridge City Center, is pictured above. The sale of the roughly 58-acre site has closed, Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, said Friday, July 1, 2016. RealtyLink of Greenville, South Carolina, plans to redevelop the site, which also includes a Belk store, as Main Street Oak Ridge, a mixed-use development that could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:30 p.m.

The sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall has closed, executives said Friday morning.

The sale was confirmed by Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, which had owned the property, and Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, the new developer.

The new owner is TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC, a company set up by RealtyLink, which is based in Greenville, South Carolina. The purchase price was $6.3 million, and the sale closed late Thursday evening, Wilson said.

RealtyLink plans to redevelop the roughly 58-acre site, which includes a Belk and JCPenney, as a mixed-use development known as Main Street Oak Ridge. It could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel.

“We’re excited for what this project will do for Oak Ridge,” Arnsdorff said. “This community deserves this. We’re excited this is happening.”

“I think what I would like to point out is that it’s a great day for Oak Ridge and for the city to sort of embrace this new mall,” Wilson said. [Read more…]

Today: Harlem Ambassadors for Habitat, former NASA chief astronomer, Smith on Three Bend

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A reminder—There are three events happening this evening: the Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show in a benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County, a former chief astronomer at NASA who is referred to as the “mother of the Hubble Telescope” discussing the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to black holes, and local historian and writer Ray Smith discussing the Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area of the Oak Ridge Reservation.

The Harlem Ambassadors Basketball Show starts at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, March 24) at Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. This show is not only entertaining, organizers said, it also brings an important message to kids: “Stay off drugs, stay in school, don’t be a bully!”

Individuals have sponsored tickets so that student-athletes in Anderson County can come to the game for free.

The “opposing” team, the Habi-bats, is made up of local coaches and other local basketball standouts.

“We hope to fill the arena and sell lots of hotdogs, all in an effort to raise money to build and repair homes in Anderson County,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Main Street project won’t close Tuesday; closing could be in January

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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 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15.

The new company leading the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall won’t close on the property on Tuesday, and the closing could be pushed into January, officials said this month.

But it’s nothing to be concerned about, one official said Monday, adding that there are many pre-closing activities to accomplish in a short period of time, some in series.

“There have been no holdups, just a lot to do,” said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge. “As an example, a subdivision plat has to be approved by the Planning Commission prior to closing. In order for the plat to be prepared, the property had to be re-surveyed. The new survey stakes are very apparent around the property. The plat was submitted yesterday (Monday). It will likely go before the Planning Commission at its meeting on January 7.”

Evans said RealtyLink has had geotechnical staff on site doing core borings during the past few weeks.

“In addition, they have been working on completing the environmental work,” he said.

Officials said RealtyLink and its contractor remain committed to having stores open for seven of the new tenants for the 2016 Christmas season. [Read more…]

Breakfast Rotary has computer drive for ETTAC on Saturday

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A low-cost, big-impact opportunity to help people who have disabilities

The Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club is sponsoring a computer drive for the East Tennessee Technology Access Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2. The computer drive will be in the parking lot of TNBank on the corner of Illinois Avenue and Rutgers Avenue.

ETTAC will accept working computers that are XP or newer, both desktop or laptop, Macs, iPads, iPods, monitors, and accessories. You can be assured that ETTAC wipes them clean of all your personal information and then gives them or loans them to people with disabilities who cannot afford to purchase a computer.

“Please don’t remove the hard drives,” a press release said.

Currently, ETTAC has a waiting list of 45 people who want a computer. [Read more…]

Spotlight: TNBank donates to March of Dimes

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Tom Tuck and March of Dimes

TNBank President Tom Tuck, left, presents a $1,000 check to Aaron Richardson of March of Dimes for the March of Dimes Campaign, March for Babies.

The March for Babies Walk is Friday, May 2, at A.K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge and Saturday, May 10, at the Knoxville Civic Center.