City of Oak Ridge planning to develop land for future downtown [Video]

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The City of Oak Ridge is in the early stages of trying to develop a portion of land that could be the future downtown.

City leaders are hoping to develop a corridor on Wilson Street that would serve as downtown for Oak Ridge, something the city has never had.

Officials said the project could bring more businesses and people to the city and benefit the ones that already exist, like the American Museum of Science and Energy.

“We can really focus and celebrate the unique history of this area if we have one central place to call a meeting place, said Matt Mullins, Director of Marketing and Communications at the American Museum of Science and Energy.”

When Oak Ridge was born, there was no plan to create a downtown because people were only living there for the Manhattan Project. Now, almost 80 years later, city …