The piece of property known as “The Oak Ridge Motel” is located on approximately 1.52 acres on Elza Drive, just outside the city limits of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and is a piece of history we need to preserve, having been built in 1949 with concrete block inside and faced with Crab Orchard Stone in a unique tudor styling. It is also Number 23 on the list of Oak Ridge Historical Buildings.
The motel was located on the East entry road leading into the gated city of Oak Ridge. At the city end of road was the “Elza Gate” which was one of the gates into Oak Ridge during the war. The Oak Ridge Motel was renovated in 1982 for the World’s Fair and closed in 1989 as Oak Ridge had grown and new hotels and motels were built closer to town. Many years ago Elza Drive was replaced as the main route between Oak Ridge and Clinton by the Oak Ridge Turnpike, but, for the use we intend to make of this motel, the location is ideal.
After the motel is renovated the housemother will be live in the two-story detached unit in order to be on-site loving support for the mothers and young children living there. All residents will come by referral only through area pregnancy centers, and similar non-profits for women and children escaping abuse but not needing to be in hiding!
The motel has two separate buildings the one towards the back of the property we call the ‘L’ Building. There will be three two-bedroom apartments and a teaching kitchen open to the community room on the long end of the ‘L’. The short ‘L’ area will contain a laundry room, sitting room, playroom, and exercise/craft room. Work on this building is our future focus and community need.
The building towards the front of the property will have three two-bedroom apartments, the single apartment for a mom and her baby, and front end single with the laundry and exercise room until the back building is completed. This buildings inside finish work is nearing completion, but unfortunately no definite date, yet!
Being gardeners we envision the property at the side of the apartments as an area for fruit trees, vegetable plots, a sensory garden, pollinator garden and other flowers intermixed, plus a play area for children around and under the Magnolia Tree. These gardens would benefit the mothers and children as well as others who live on that street. Who wouldn’t rather look at flowers and trees than buildings? Nature is a great healer and even if gardening isn’t one of her interests, living with access to one is. In addition to the above we will have chickens, a workshop/potting shed, greenhouse, lath house, plus other ideas we are working on! To encourage good nutrition each mother will have a garden plot of her own to grow what she likes and her children will have the same in the Children’s Garden area, that they can create on their own, with a little help! We will have Master Gardeners available for teaching, as this will be a Teaching/Learning Garden and all will take part in maintaining it so their knowledge can be taken with them to their next home!
Our Organic Garden Areas
I don’t know one person who does not enjoy just “getting out” for a walk, read, or just be by themselves. This area would provide that capability. The common area between the apartments and the housemother’s unit will have play areas for the children, a patio, and flowers,
This type of housing is an important need in our area and having a place centrally located between Clinton and Oak Ridge would help single mothers from these two cities and the surrounding areas get their feet back on the ground and headed in the right direction. One poor choice or bad experience should not keep them from going to school, getting a decent job, or being a good mother, but not having a place to live could. When completed Crossroads Center of Hope will be the only long-term transitional/supportive housing available in Anderson County.
The results of this is all around us and we need to give these women, and their children, a chance to be a productive part of our communities and be proud of their accomplishments and Crossroads Ministry wants to be one of those organizations doing just that.
