Intown/Med District Development

[Bears]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/busine...4552916,00.html

Maybe the gap between the Med District and St. Jude can close with this development. Anyone think they can attend the meeting at the Memphis College of Art? The transportation bill passed recently by Congress contained $5 million for streetscape improvements in the Medical Center area. I for one would be intrested to see what they have planned but I live 1,000 miles away 35% of all new jobs created in Memphis last year were in the biotech sector so thats promising news for the Med District.

Map of the Intown area:

http://maps.google.com/?ll=35.148161,-90.0....009264,0.01884

Intresting note though: The Biotech industry is now mainly located in North Whitehaven on Elvis Presley Blvd, Brooks Road and the Nonconnah Corporate Center. There are about 7,000 people employed in the biomedical field in that two-square-mile corridor. Read more about it at the bottom of this article...

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial/...d.aspx?id=92085

[sleepy]

That area north of Poplar is pretty poor. I know they're redoing the projects along Poplar for mixed-housing. I suspect that's what they've got planned for the rest of the area north of Poplar.

I certainly didn't know that the north Whitehaven area was the center for Memphis biotech. But I guess it makes sense because much of that industry is powered by the availability of FedEx.

[qwertycc]

The biggest biotech companies are Medtronic and Smith & Nephew, and they are there at Nonconnah Industrial Park (Milbranch exit off 240 and Brooks exit off 55).

But the biotech research is centered around Baptist College of Health Sciences, The Med, LeBonheur, and UT Medical, an area which is not far from St. Jude or Methodist Central. A few companies have started up near the proposed research park.

U of M is also doing biotech research and robotic research. I believe that Southwest TN CC has begun programs for suport careers in biotech.

Interestingly, one of the bigger biotech companies (other than Medtronic and S&N) in the Memphis area is in the small but recently ballooning city of Arlington--Wright Medical. It was looking to move closer to the city core (I believe they were looking on Goodlett Farms near I-40 and Whitten), but that fell through and now they're staying in Arlington for the time being.

If you're interested in biotech in Memphis, this is the site to go to.

http://www.memphisbioworks.org/

[TennBear]

I certainly didn't know that the north Whitehaven area was the center for Memphis biotech. But I guess it makes sense because much of that industry is powered by the availability of FedEx.

Sleepy, It has been there for longer than FEDEX existed. It has grown in the years since FEDEX, but it is older.

[tatersmith]

Sleepy, It has been there for longer than FEDEX existed. It has grown in the years since FEDEX, but it is older.

The precursors to Accredo & Novafactor were also based down there in the late 80s and 90s. Moved to Century Center at some point. Some of the related companies may remain.

Any history on Smith+Nephew being down in that part of town (or in Memphis at all?)

[TennBear]

The precursors to Accredo & Novafactor were also based down there in the late 80s and 90s. Moved to Century Center at some point. Some of the related companies may remain.

Any history on Smith+Nephew being down in that part of town (or in Memphis at all?)

I tried to look at this. Richard's Manufacturing Co. was either founded in 1927 or 1934 depending on who's site you look at. Wright Medical started in 1950. In 1956, Dr. Shea helped Richard's in creating the first stapes replacement implant, producing the first artificial middle ear implant. The Smith+Nephew name came into Memphis in 1984 when they bought the ENT Division of Richard's Medical. The basis for most of this was the patent for the world's first compression hip-screw in 1964 in Memphis. All the companies have overlap and have grown out of one another.

[Rural King]

I'm learning a lot of interesting business history of Memphis that I really had no clue existed. Cool stuff!

[Bears]

Update:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/busine...4859132,00.html

The plans haven't been put together yet, but its being redeveloped in the same way as Binghampton.

http://www.urbanartcommission.org/charrette/overview.html

[TennBear]

That area north of Poplar is pretty poor. I know they're redoing the projects along Poplar for mixed-housing. I suspect that's what they've got planned for the rest of the area north of Poplar.

I certainly didn't know that the north Whitehaven area was the center for Memphis biotech. But I guess it makes sense because much of that industry is powered by the availability of FedEx.

Sleepy, The orthopedic development/biotech development in Whitehaven predates FedEx. I'm cerntain that it has helped it.