"Super" Oak Ridge (Knoxville, Farragut: sales, how much, neighborhood)

[LauraC]

I read in the Oak Ridger today that the town of Oak Ridge may get a Super Target as part of a new shopping center. I could get excited about that if I knew what happens to Plain Old Target when it becomes super. Anyone know? I've never heard of Super Target.

In other Oak Ridge (OR) news today there is a great article in the Oak Ridger newspaper about the role Oak Ridge science is playing in world affairs such as (but not limited to) OR scientists working with China on pollution issues and working with South Korea on energy issues. They are also doing work in the nanotechnology area, are building the world's largest super computer, have a biofuels program that identified switchgrass as the model plant species for alternative fuel, and are working with NASA on the Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter and other space projects.

If you happen to be planning a visit to Oak Ridge the current exhibit at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) is "It's a Nano World". This is a dot org so I can post the link:

http://www.amse.org/exhibits/070105-ItsANanoWorld.html (broken link)

Plenty of interactive exhibits for the kids.

[hiknapster]

Laura:

A Super Target means that it will offer groceries, too.

Thanks for the museum info. Lauren has been there a few times on field trips. I have to go but still awaiting the special tours.

By the way, I just discovered a Polish restaurant in Oak Ridge. I am so excited! I think I may go on Friday!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I read in the Oak Ridger today that the town of Oak Ridge may get a Super Target as part of a new shopping center. I could get excited about that if I knew what happens to Plain Old Target when it becomes super. Anyone know? I've never heard of Super Target.

In other Oak Ridge (OR) news today there is a great article in the Oak Ridger newspaper about the role Oak Ridge science is playing in world affairs such as (but not limited to) OR scientists working with China on pollution issues and working with South Korea on energy issues. They are also doing work in the nanotechnology area, are building the world's largest super computer, have a biofuels program that identified switchgrass as the model plant species for alternative fuel, and are working with NASA on the Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter and other space projects.

If you happen to be planning a visit to Oak Ridge the current exhibit at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) is "It's a Nano World". This is a dot org so I can post the link:

http://www.amse.org/exhibits/070105-ItsANanoWorld.html (broken link)

Plenty of interactive exhibits for the kids.

There's already a Super Target in West Knoxville at the Turkey Creek development. It's WONDERFUL. Other Targets also have groceries, but a Super Target also has a deli, bakery, and produce.

Anyway, the developer for the Super Target in Oak Ridge wants the city of Oak Ridge to chip in over $10 million towards the new shopping center. That seems mighty steep to me. It seems to me that if the developer thinks that there's money to be made by building a Super Target in Oak Ridge, why should the city contribute $10 million towards the cost?

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by JMT

There's already a Super Target in West Knoxville at the Turkey Creek development. It's WONDERFUL. Other Targets also have groceries, but a Super Target also has a deli, bakery, and produce.

Anyway, the developer for the Super Target in Oak Ridge wants the city of Oak Ridge to chip in over $10 million towards the new shopping center. That seems mighty steep to me. It seems to me that if the developer thinks that there's money to be made by building a Super Target in Oak Ridge, why should the city contribute $10 million towards the cost?

I don't actually have an opinion on a super Target (now that I know what makes it super) since I'm not a shopper at the Plain Old Target in the town next to mine, now. I suppose if it's physically located in a different part of town from the Super Walmart and the K-Mart, it will be good for the people in the neighborhood. I'd be more interested to see what else would be planned for that shopping center...and what's going on with the mall.

I don't know how business deals for large stores go down but it seems strange that they want the city to kick in the money.

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Laura:

A Super Target means that it will offer groceries, too.

Thanks for the museum info. Lauren has been there a few times on field trips. I have to go but still awaiting the special tours.

By the way, I just discovered a Polish restaurant in Oak Ridge. I am so excited! I think I may go on Friday!

I bet she'll like the interactive nanotechnology exhibits if it they are anything like the Grossology one.

I don't think I have ever eaten in a Polish restaurant although I have been to Polish bakeries. My ex-husband was half Polish and he never expressed a desire for Polish food. We had a heavy duty Polish neighborhood (even had a Polish mass) in a nearby town but we never went out to eat there for no reason other than there were other places we liked to go to. After Italian, I like German restaurants. After leaving Long Island, I only got to go to them on work related travel.

[Milo Bloom]

I've not been to the AMSE, but my kids love the Oak Ridge Childrens Museum.

Originally Posted by LauraC

After Italian, I like German restaurants. After leaving Long Island, I only got to go to them on work related travel.

There is Restaurant Linderhof in Farragut...don't know much about it, but I have heard good things.

[Siberia]

Originally Posted by LauraC

the current exhibit at the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) is "It's a Nano World".

It would definitely be a "Nano World" if a type or species of nano mechanism was designed to say help remove oil spills by attacking carbon based atoms, but instead thought it's carbon based creators was more delicious...was that at the museum too?


And back to Target, wouldn't it have been easier for consumers to understand the difference between their stores if they had labeled them say:

Target Lump-o-Coal (carts without wheels...not pretty, but cheap!)
Target Bronze
Target Silver
Target Gold
Target Platinum
Target Diamond (with valet parking!)

At least we could all understand which stores were actually "better", as the corporations continued to one-up themselves over the coming decades in the battle over customer plastic.

Sometimes having these mega-stores is a mixed blessing. Yes they do offer "more", but how much of this stuff would we never have dreamed of "needing" had we not been exposed to such misc. product? When one walks down an aisle full of duct tape that consists of every color found in the rainbow, perhaps "it" has gone a little to far? Although that blue duct tape sure does hold my car bumper on extremely well, and looks great too!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I don't think I have ever eaten in a Polish restaurant although I have been to Polish bakeries. My ex-husband was half Polish and he never expressed a desire for Polish food. We had a heavy duty Polish neighborhood (even had a Polish mass) in a nearby town but we never went out to eat there for no reason other than there were other places we liked to go to. After Italian, I like German restaurants. After leaving Long Island, I only got to go to them on work related travel.

I'm not Polish, but lived in a Polish area for most of my life. Pierogis are delicious but. I actually know how to make them (as opposed to clam fritters!) but they are very labor intensive. Read: I'm just too lazy!

In the town that I lived, there was an actual cottage industry of little old Polish ladies that would sell them out of their kitchen!

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Siberia

Sometimes having these mega-stores is a mixed blessing. Yes they do offer "more", but how much of this stuff would we never have dreamed of "needing" had we not been exposed to such misc. product?

As a person who likes to go into the store to get what I need and get out (not shop/look around to see what they've got), having it all under one roof is okay (making 1 trip to one store) with me but I do like my grocery shopping in a supermarket not in a megastore. I think it's not so much the store itself but hauling the bags of mixed purchased items up a flight of stairs and into the home. I have to think, though, in some rural places in Tennessee, the big megastores must be a Godsend. Less driving long distances for multiple-type purchases. At least you don't have to kill a whole day for shopping.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by Milo Bloom

I've not been to the AMSE, but my kids love the Oak Ridge Childrens Museum.



There is Restaurant Linderhof in Farragut...don't know much about it, but I have heard good things.

I think your kids would like the AMSE interactive exhibits. I did not go to the Children's Museum but I've heard good things about it.

Thanks for the restaurant tip.

[TXboomerang]

Originally Posted by JMT

why should the city contribute $10 million towards the cost?

Could be a lot of it for preparing the land for building on for one thing, although that probably wouldn't account for $10mil.

The reason cities kick in large amounts for stuff like this is simple. Sales tax and increased overall revenue for the city. If people come to Oak Ridge to do their shopping instead of going to Knoxville, they also dine, buy gas, etc. Its an overall boost to the economy of the city if you've ever seen how many people are at Super Target from open to close. I would be surprised if a day went by when 1000 people + didn't come in.

Anyway, Super Targets are great. Where I lived in TX had about 6 of them within a 40 mile radius. I live in Knoxville and would love it if they built one in Oak Ridge because it would make the Knoxville location slightly less crowded.