While the Oak Ridger building has been sold, the five-day-a-week newspaper, a fixture in the Atomic City for 64 years, will continue to publish, the publisher said Friday.

Oak Ridger editor and publisher Darrell Richardson said the property on Oak Ridge Turnpike, on the market since February 2009, was sold Thursday to an entity titled SBR Associates LLC. [full article]

NAI Knoxville’s Sam Tate, CCIM represented the seller in the transaction.

Area Development Magazine Special Presentation (Q2 / Spring 2013)

Area Development’s annual Gold and Silver Shovel Awards recognize states for their achievements in attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities. [read full article]

The note for a 24 story Class A office building (Riverview Tower) in downtown Knoxville has been sold. The seller was represented by Matthew Fentress RPA, CPM, CCIM of NAI Knoxville, Fain Hicks, CCIM of NAI Brannen Goddard and Linda Simpson of C-III Realty Services LLC.

The buyer was Hertz Investment Group, which has secured ownership of the building as well.

“NAI Knoxville is honored to have the opportunity to work with C-III Realty Services in the disposition of the non-performing note.” Matthew Fentress RPA, CPM, CCIM Broker at NAI Knoxville.

The property located at 10651 Coward Mill Road (near Hardin Valley and the Pellissippi Parkway) sold on April 26, 2013. The Seller was Master Builder Properties, LLC and the Buyer was Caris Healthcare L.P.

“NAI Knoxville is honored to have the opportunity to work with Norman McRea and the fantastic staff of Caris HealthCare Services in the acquisition of their new facility.” ~Maribel Koella CCIM, SIOR, and Principle Broker of NAI Knoxville

NAI Knoxville also ranked as a CoStar Power Broker firm for both Sales & Leasing, so congratulations to all!

Each year, CoStar Group recognizes the top commercial real estate brokerage firms and brokers with the prestigious Power Broker Awards.

As the largest professional research organization serving the commercial real estate industry, CoStar is uniquely positioned to track transactions and identify the top players across the U.S. Every year, CoStar tallies the commercial real estate sales and lease transactions that closed during the previous year then presents awards to the firms and individuals who achieved the highest volume of sales and leases in over 90 markets across the country.

Commissioners should approve the funding and move forward with the project, which would put Jefferson County — and the region — in play as a location for a major automobile plant or other manufacturing facility.

According to a study by Younger Associates, a certified megasite in Jefferson County has the potential to create 4,900 jobs and generate more than $2.7 billion for the regional economy each year. [Knoxville News Sentinel]

Already, Tennessee industries export $30 billion worth of products annually, but that could grow substantially in the future with some assistance from the state, said Bill Hagerty, the department’s commissioner.

The initiative will be led by the department’s International Division, and it will be the first time since 1997 that the state has operated foreign offices “solely dedicated to advancing Tennessee exports,” the department said in an announcement. [The Tennessean]

A maximum-capacity crowd of 250 registrants joined business, government and economic development leaders last week to discuss the region’s future competitiveness at ETcompetes!, a symposium hosted by PlanET and Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley, Inc.

Held at the East Tennessee History Center on January 9, the event was moderated by Ted Abernathy, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board. Attendees and panelists engaged in a candid discussion of how East Tennessee can best position itself to compete in a global marketplace.

Responding to questions submitted by attendees, panelists shared their insights on topics ranging from preparing the region’s workforce to capitalizing on East Tennessee’s quality-of-life assets that are essential to attracting and keeping talent and industry. {read more}

For the second consecutive year, the 34-year-old NAI Knoxville broker has been chosen by the East Tennessee chapter of commercial real estate organization CCIM as its Broker of the Year.

Read more of Josh Flory’s article {knoxvillebiz.com}

NAI Knoxville completed commercial and industrial real estate transactions for 2012 in excess of $62 million, as stated by Maribel W. Koella, SIOR, CCIM and president. She reported that NAI Knoxville had closed over 104 commercial transactions to reach this total.

Notable transactions include Pigeon Falls in Pigeon Forge, EET Corporation, Kimberly-Clark Financial Services, ITT Education Services, Denso Manufacturing Tennessee, multiple Ruby Tuesday, Inc (land and restaurant) dispositions, Office Furniture Outfitters, 84 Lumber in Westbridge Industrial Park, ProTech Metal Finishing in Horizon Center, Iron Mountain, Niles Ferry Industrial Park acreage and Martin Marine.

NAI Knoxville’s current listing inventory is in excess of $153 million.

Our company has been in business for 30 years and has a staff of eight full-time brokers, six holding the CCIM designation, two holding the SIOR designation, one holding the MRED designation and one holding both RPA and CPM designations.