The Oak Ridge City Center, which could be redeveloped as a multi-use town center known as Main Street, is pictured above. Also known as the former Oak Ridge Mall, the L-shaped building is at center. The white building at center left is Walmart, and it is not part of the proposed redevelopment. Neither is the white building at center top, the Tinseltown Theater. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
The closing on the sale of the former Oak Ridge Mall is proceeding, and it is still on track to close by the end of June, a city consultant said Friday.
“Everything we’re hearing is that they are still on track to close by the end of the month,” said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.
Evans said officials have been in contact with the RealtyLink, the mall redeveloper, this week, and RealtyLink and the city staff have been discussing construction sequencing.
“We’ve had multiple meetings on that this week,” Evans said.
Construction sequencing focuses on such issues as which electrical transformers can be taken out of service without affecting service to other parts of town, and which water and sewer lines can be taken out, and in what order, without disrupting service to Belk and JCPenney, for example.
The planned redevelopment of the roughly 60-acre mall site would be named Main Street Oak Ridge. It could include a mix of retailers, restaurants, residential units, and possibly a hotel.
One of the last hurdles on the project was cleared on Monday, June 13, when the Oak Ridge City Council authorized the city manager to negotiate with federal officials and RealtyLink for the transfer of the American Museum of Science and Energy property—if the federal government wants to get rid of it. RealtyLink had said that any redevelopment of the AMSE property that competes with Main Street Oak Ridge would be harmful to its efforts to build the mixed-use town center. AMSE is across South Tulane Avenue from the mall site.
RealtyLink, which is based in Greenville, South Carolina, plans to invest about $41 million in the first all-retail phase of Main Street Oak Ridge. Stores are expected to open in the spring of 2017.
The second phase, which could cost $19 million, could include local businesses, outdoor businesses, a wine bar and coffee shop, and a service district that could include dry cleaners and insurance agencies, for example.
RealtyLink took over as master developer in September 2015.
See previous stories about Main Street Oak Ridge here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Joseph Lee says
This is great news. Many thanks to everyone working to get this redevelopment up and running.
johnhuotari says
I’ve got this on my calendar and will try to let you and other readers know if we hear anything new about the closing.
Angi Agle says
Thanks, John. I think several of us will celebrate!
Joseph Lee says
I too thank you John for any new info. A celebration is defiantly in order when the deal is done.