Premier Eyecare set to expand
For an optometrist, visibility is paramount, so when Dr. Brent Fry, optometric physician and owner of Premier Eyecare, decided to expand his Farragut business he kept his priority of visibility in mind.
Dirt already has been moved on property between the present Premier Eyecare, 11121 Kingston Pike at Admiral Road, to make way for the new facility.
“We are rolling right along,” Fry said. “We hope to be in by June 2017.
“We broke ground a couple months ago, and we are going through the permit process,” he added. “It’s a long process to get the project going.
“We are hoping to start construction in January if the weather holds out. We’ll see.” Fry said. “Until they begin putting up the building, it doesn’t seem real.
“My staff is excited to be able to move,” he added.
“The new facility will offer a much better experience for our patients and provide a better working environment for our staff.”
Fry has been practicing in the present Farragut site since 2002 but has found his business keeps growing.
“We actually expanded in 2010, moving into the space next door,” he said. “We were able to acquire about half that space. We went from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet.”
“I’ve been looking for a couple of years for a piece of property, and thankfully with my Realtor, Roger Moore, I was able to find this space right next door,” he added.
But with Fry’s desire for visibility, he had to deal with the topography at the site.
“On this side of Kingston Pike, some lots sit a little low,” he said. “Obviously, visibility is important for businesses along Kingston Pike.
“We want [the new facility] to be more visible, so we want it level with Kingston Pike. We’ve had to do a little grading to raise the level of [the lot],” Fry added.
The completed facility would be 10,000 square feet while Premier Eyecare will occupy 5,000 square feet, he said. The rest of the facility would have four tenant spaces of 1,250 square feet each available for rent.
“We are trying to make it a really modern building that will enhance the beauty of Farragut. That’s our goal,” Fry said.
While the Town has the architectural guidelines to follow, he worked with the Town to come up with a plan that meets its requirements and worked with Studio Four Design Architecture & Interiors to achieve a design for a modern building that would stand out. Ralph Construction is contracted to build the facility.
“There will be a lot of glass added to the front to provide visibility, so passersby can see what is going on,” Fry said.
Fry said the current space his business occupies is being leased.
