Oak Ridge Today

Iwanski announces re-election campaign for County Commission

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Myron Iwanski

Myron Iwanski

Myron Iwanski is seeking re-election to Anderson County Commission in District 8, which includes the Woodland, Emory Valley, and Hendrix Creek precincts in Oak Ridge.

Iwanski was appointed in 2011 to serve as mayor by County Commission early in his current term on County Commission. This was a 19-month appointment until a mayor could be elected for the remaining two years of former Mayor Rex Lynch’s term.

“It was an honor to be selected by my peers on County Commission to serve as chairman of County Commission for three terms and then as mayor during a difficult time for our county government,” Iwanski said in a press release.

“We had to work together to make some tough decisions,” Iwanski said. “We put several initiatives in place that will expand our retail and industrial tax base, promote tourism, and create jobs. This included setting funds aside for industrial land and infrastructure and creating a public/private partnership to hire a retail recruiter. We also put initiatives in place that are slowing the growth in the county jail population while helping reduce the crime rate. [Read more…]

Ole Ben Franklin Motors opens Thursday, sixth new business in south Oak Ridge

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Ole Ben Franklin Motors Building and Sign

Eric Martin of Sign Co. Inc. in Knoxville installs lettering at Ole Ben Franklin Motors on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Ole Ben Franklin Motors, the largest independent used car lot in Tennessee, is expanding into Oak Ridge, and the company’s new location on South Illinois Avenue will open Thursday, the owner said Tuesday.

It will be the sixth business to open in a little more than one year in a one-third mile stretch of the busy roadway at the southern entrance to central Oak Ridge.

“We want to be part of (the growth),” said Mike Mencer, owner of the Knoxville-based company.

Mencer said the Ole Ben Franklin Motors lot at the former Dean Stallings Ford could have more than 100 cars when it opens at 9 a.m. Thursday. He said the company has a great selection of used cars, can offer financing through its own bank, and has been in business for 30 years. [Read more…]

Weigel’s open now, Aldi has grand opening Thursday

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Weigel's on South Illinois Avenue

The Weigel’s on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge is now open.

A Weigel’s gas station and store is now open on South Illinois Avenue, and a nearby Aldi grocery has a grand opening celebration on Thursday.

The Weigel’s is on 1.5 acres south of TNBank, and the 4,000-square-foot store includes 16 gas pumps.

Construction started this spring. It’s now the second Weigel’s store in Oak Ridge and the only gas station on South Illinois Avenue between Tulsa Road in central Oak Ridge and Solway in Knox County.

Weigel’s Farm Stores Inc. is a chain headquartered in Powell that operates 57 local dairy and convenience stores. [Read more…]

Mall redevelopment could cost $80 million, create close to 1,000 jobs

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Oak Ridge Mall Master Plan

The site plan for the redevelopment of the Oak Ridge Mall shows a multi-use, town center development with retail, office, hotel, and residential properties. (Submitted image)

The project could include retail, hotel, office, and residential properties, and generate more than $2 million per year in new city and county sales tax revenues, consultant says

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m.

The North Carolina company that wants to redevelop the Oak Ridge Mall has unveiled its site plan for the 60-acre property.

The $80 million redevelopment could include new retail, hotel, office, and residential properties. It would create almost 1,000 new jobs and increase annual city and county sales tax revenues by more than $2 million, according to an estimate by a city consultant.

The two remaining anchor stores at the 500,000-square-foot mall, JCPenney and Belk, would stay. So would Walmart and the Cinemark Tinseltown theater.

Meanwhile, the existing interior space between the anchor stores would be demolished. Previous mall redevelopment plans had also called for demolishing that interior retail space. [Read more…]

Construction work starts on Aldi grocery

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Aldi Construction

Construction has started on an Aldi grocery store on South Illinois Avenue. Above, construction subcontractors from Bellamy Excavating of Knoxville install a storm sewer on the 1.4-acre site near the relocated, expanded Panera Bread and new Aubrey’s restaurant.

Construction work has started on an Aldi grocery store on South Illinois Avenue.

Under way for about a month, work on the 16,000-square-foot store on 1.4 acres could be finished in November, said Tony Stacy, job superintendent for the project’s general contractor, Creative Structures of Knoxville.

The project at the Woodland Town Center, where the new Aubrey’s and relocated Panera Bread opened in October, was announced in January. [Read more…]

Council approves Aldi rezoning, waterfront crosswalk signs, kayak rentals

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The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday approved a rezoning that could allow an Aldi grocery store on South Illinois Avenue, solar-powered pedestrian warning signs on Melton Lake Drive, and a program to rent bicycles and kayaks at Melton Lake Park.

The Aldi could open on about 1.4 acres in the Woodland Town Center near Panera Bread and Aubrey’s restaurant this fall.

The pedestrian signs, as well as new pavement markings, could be installed at three crosswalks at Amanda Drive, Emory Valley Road, and Rivers Run on Melton Lake Drive. [Read more…]

Aldi could open at Woodland Town Center in September

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Aldi Site at Woodland Town Center

The property at Woodland Town Center where an Aldi grocery store could open by September near Panera Bread and Aubrey’s between South Illinois and South Purdue avenues.

The new grocery store that could open on South Illinois Avenue by September could be an Aldi, a developer said Friday.

The 15,800-square-foot store would be on 1.6 acres at Woodland Town Center, where the new Aubrey’s and relocated Panera Bread opened in October. It would be across from those two restaurants, on the other side of a new roadway called Woodland Terrace East.

[Read more…]

Planning commissioners consider rezonings for grocery, store

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A grocery story and commercial store are being considered at two small sites on South Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The unnamed grocery store could be built on a 2.3-acre parcel at the new Woodland Town Center, where Aubrey’s and Panera Bread recently opened. The store would be across from the two restaurants, on the other side of a new roadway called Woodland Terrace East.

[Read more…]

New traffic signal at Woodland Town Center, South Illinois

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A new traffic signal is expected to start operating Wednesday, Nov. 14, in front of the Woodland Town Center on South Illinois Avenue.

The new shopping center includes a Aubrey’s restaurant and a larger, relocated Panera Bread.

The traffic light is at the intersection of South Illinois and a new road called Woodland Terrace East. It replaces a short section of Quincy Avenue that was removed to make way for Woodland Town Center.

[Read more…]

New Panera opens Sunday, Aubrey’s opens Monday

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Panera and Aubreys Opening in Oak Ridge

A new, larger Panera Bread will open Sunday morning on South Illinois Avenue, and a new Aubrey’s restaurant will open Monday.

Panera Bread will open its new store Sunday morning, and Aubrey’s restaurant will open Monday, staff members said.

Panera, which already has an Oak Ridge store, is moving into a new, larger restaurant on South Illinois Avenue. The old store is now closed, a staff member said Saturday evening, and the new diner will open at 7 a.m. Sunday.

Aubrey’s is next to the new Panera store and will open at 10:30 a.m. Monday, a staff member said.

The two restaurants are located in a new four-acre shopping center called Woodland Town Center. It’s across from the former Dean Stallings Ford.

[Read more…]

Construction work starts at Panera, Aubrey’s site

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Woodland Town Center Construction

Construction work has started on Woodland Town Center, a commercial development that will feature an Aubrey's restaurant on South Illinois Avenue and a larger, relocated Panera Bread.

Construction work has started at a four-acre tract on South Illinois Avenue that will feature an Aubrey’s restaurant and Panera Bread.

The restaurants could be complete by September or October.

[Read more…]

Quincy Avenue to close April 27

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Construction work on the Woodland Town Center is scheduled to begin soon, and a short section of Quincy Avenue between South Purdue and South Illinois Avenue is scheduled to be closed on Friday, April 27.

The street closure could be delayed for bad weather. That section of Quincy Avenue will be closed for approximately four to five months while a new street is constructed as part of the Woodland Town Center, which is expected to include an Aubrey’s restaurant and a larger Panera Bread.

Motorists are requested to avoid this area and use alternate routes of travel.

Any questions or comments can be directed to the City of Oak Ridge Public Works Department at (865) 425-1875.