presstalks

• I have been very disappointed in the Ingles property for a number of years. I would love to see something like a Lowe’s hardware store, or something of that nature come in and take that space. That whole area would be plenty big enough for a great store like that. I hope something can work out; that’s been an eyesore for more years than I can count.

• That (Ingles) empty building should be turned into a (inaudible) wonderful Korean/Asian market.

• I was reading your farragutpress (Through the Lens) about Ingles, and doing something to fix up the whole site at Ingles, and thrilled to death (about the recent Town code enforcement). But what about the old Kroger building? It’s been empty for so many years. Something needs to be done there.

• About ideas for the old Ingles building: I’d love to see a bowling alley and a kids’ skating rink go in there.

• (At the old Ingles site), they should put in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, which would generate over $2 million in income for the Town of Farragut each year.

• About the old Ingles store, we need a cafeteria in Farragut. That would help a lot of people, instead of going to fast-food (restaurants). Both of our neighbors have talked about it, and we would like to see a cafeteria go in there.

• I was driving on Kingston Pike and just going past Fox Den’s entrance, right before we got the snow and the cold and frigid weather, and I saw what was evidently a homeless man, and he was walking with his little dog, and all he was wearing was a shirt and vest — no coat. He looked maybe 35, and I thought he might be a vet. I circled around to come back and stopped right in front of Fox Den’s entrance. I gave him some money, and he was very grateful. About the old Ingles, maybe a section of it could be walled up and maybe they could put a little soup kitchen in there for these people. Not where you would make a homeless shelter, but where people could come in and get a bowl of soup, some bread and warm up. And you don’t have to keep it open all year — maybe just December, January and February when it’s the coldest.

• I’m just making a suggestion as what to do with the old Ingles facility. I strongly recommend we contact Menards. It’s a wonderful chain that really the Knoxville and Farragut area needs. It’s far better than, like, Home Depot or Lowe’s or any of the others like Rural King or whatever. It’s an amazing store. I would encourage us to at least contact Menards and see if they ever have plans to be in this area.