Chamber gets land gift, moves future headquarters site

January 3, 2024 by G. Chambers Williams III

More than a year after holding a groundbreaking ceremony for its new headquarters on North Main Street in Clinton, the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce has abandoned that site and will build instead on North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard at West Weaver Street.

The new site, which also borders West Washington Avenue and the R.J. Corman Railroad, was donated to the chamber by Joe Hollingsworth Jr., CEO of The Hollingsworth Companies. The 1.35-acre property has an official address of 107 W. Washington Ave., according to Anderson County property records.

It is next door to O’Reilly Auto Parts to the north and Y-12 Federal Credit Union, across West Weaver Street to the south.

Hollingworth acquired the property on Oct. 20, records show. No purchase price was listed.

AM-PM Mart of Kentucky previously owned the property, and it has been vacant for some time. Records show AM-PM Mart purchased the property in November 2012 for $220,000.

The lot, which sits just east of the R.J. Corman Railroad line (formerly Norfolk Southern), was cleared, filled and leveled using concrete removed from the old Green Bridge in spring 2022.

Fill work was performed by one of Hollingsworth’s companies, Concept Developments Inc. of Clinton. Since that work was completed, the lot had been sitting empty.

Despite the Nov. 2, 2022, groundbreaking event, no work had been actually started on the chamber’s new headquarters at the previously announced site, North Main at North Hicks streets, so the move will have minimal impact on the project, the chamber said.

The chamber is still raising money to pay for the new headquarters, so construction had been delayed.

Hollingsworth officially donated the land to the Anderson County Chamber Foundation, which is leading the fundraising drive for the new headquarters.

According to a chamber announcement, Hollingsworth said the foundation’s “success with disclosed and undisclosed donors” in the fund drive led him to donate the land for the new headquarters, which will house Chamber offices, as well as state-of-the-art training and meeting facilities for members and the community.

“We are so pleased to assist the undisclosed primary donor,” Hollingsworth said. “We have been fantastically impressed with the Anderson County Chamber’s progress toward successfully raising the money necessary to fund the new building, as well as their success day to day in relocating new businesses and highlighting existing businesses.”

The new chamber location “will add to the acceleration of other businesses along State Route 61 on Charles Seivers Boulevard,” said Hollingsworth, whose Clinton-based companies have developed industrial facilities in 14 states and 41 communities.

“This gift gives the chamber the opportunity to be much more visible in the community,” said Rick Meredith, president of the chamber.

“Joe Hollingsworth has given the chamber a great commercial lot on one of the busiest intersections in Clinton.”

The one-story headquarters building “will include a diversified room with up-to-date technology for training and videoconferencing, available for chamber members, nonprofits, and community partners,” the announcement said.

“A welcoming lobby, a catering kitchen for events, and offices for chamber staff and Anderson County Economic Development Association are included in the building’s plans. MBI Companies, Inc., an architectural, engineering and interiors firm with offices in Knoxville and Chattanooga, designed the building and serves as project manager.”

To learn more about the Anderson County Chamber Foundation, the new building, and the fund drive, visit the foundation’s website at acccfoundation.org, the chamber said.