Jeff Londis, left, president of White Oak Enterprises, talks with Eric Ginsberg, supervisor for P&C Construction, Inc., about the 10-acre tract being developed at 5974 Elementary Way in Ooltewah.
Jeff Londis,left, president of White Oak Enterprises, talks with Eric Ginsberg, supervisor for P&C Construction, Inc., about the 10-acre tract being developed at 5974 Elementary Way in Ooltewah.
Three restaurants are headed for Ooltewah as the second phase of a shopping center has begun going up as part of a $10 million project.
Dos Bros Mexican Grill, Jersey Mike's Subs and Smoothie King plan to open new eateries in a 10,000-square-foot addition to White Oak Crossing off Lee Highway, said developer Jeff Londis.
Noire, a high-end nail salon, and a finance company also are slated for the site, he said. Londis said the development's second phase will hold primarily restaurant and retail space, though there's some office space as well.
"The building is filled except for 1,500 square feet," he said. Tenants should be moved in this fall, Londis said.
Last fall, low-cost grocer Aldi opened a new store to mark White Oak Crossing's initial phase. The 18,000-square-foot market is the latest of more than a half dozen Aldi stores which have opened in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.
Londis said there's room at White Oak Crossing, located at Lee Highway and Elementary Way, for another 30,000 to 35,000 square feet of commercial space which is expected to go up later on the remainder of the 10-acre parcel.
Eric Ginsberg, project superintendent for builder P&C Construction, said the latest work at the shopping center is just part of an array of new commercial and residential space going up in the Collegedale-Ooltewah area.
"All the building happening here, it's continuing," he said. "It's exciting to be a part of that."
Londis also cited the growth in that part of Hamilton County driven in part by hiring at the nearby Volkswagen auto assembly plant and Amazon distribution center at Enterprise South industrial park. In addition, he noted the $30 million FedEx distribution center going up off Interstate-75 near Volkswagen Drive.
The developer said the "dynamic" growth in the region has also led to the building of more than 500 apartment units in the past couple of years on Apison Pike and other single- family homes and subdivisions in the Ooltewah and Collegedale area.
Londis said his development group is looking at several other projects.
White Oak Crossing is located about a half mile from I-75 and not far from where the Cambridge Square mixed-used development is going up. The site formerly held Ooltewah Elementary School.
Londis is the co-founder of a couple of health care companies with which he's no longer involved.
Dos Bros, a fresh Mexican concept restaurant, last year moved into 798 square feet in the Hamilton Place mall's food court. Its first location opened in Cleveland, Tenn.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.