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Downtown Memphis News & Developments (CBD, South Main, Riverfront, Medical District, The Edge, Uptown)


bluff2085

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At this point in time, I'm guessing that the plans for Fourth Street have been shelved, considering that Greyhound was supposed to have moved its operations to a new intermodal facility near the airport. Originally, this was supposed to have been built and ready to open by this year or next year, but unfortunately it looks like that won't be happening anytime soon since it was never built, so AFAIK, Greyhound will most likely stay put.

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Are you talking about that developer out of California that wanted to build an upscale lifestyle center there across from AutoZone Park? I think there was like a 20-story tower with it too... I haven't heard anything out of that proposal in about a year. It's probably dead, I guess <_<

I don't remember the 20-story part . . . :dontknow:

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Old WDIA building at Main/Union will be getting some TLC according to the CA. It's good to see this renovation in such a prominent part of downtown. http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/busine...5663004,00.html

^Good article. It also mentioned that Turley's project on Main and Gayoso is progressing and construction could begin in January.

I know Turley's project won't impact the skyline, but it might just be perfect for that area of DT. It sounds more sustainable and...well...feasible.

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Anyone have any news/info about these two projects just north of Union/Front: Grade Hotel and 52 South Front? Will they be linked or are they separate?

Grade Hotel: http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/sto...53600%5E1487015

52 South Front: http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories.../04/story2.html

Archimania site (see evolving): http://www.archimania.com/

Rendering:

55028-400-0.jpg

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I haven't seen this posted anywhere yet, so I'll post it here.

LeBonheur Children's Medical Center is building a new 12-story, $327 million facility DT that should be complete in 2010. Smith & Nephew just gave them a million-dollar donation for the project, according to the MBJ.

This will make a great addition to that portion of the Memphis skyline - not to mention the economic benefits of having 2 fantastic pediatric care centers next to each other.

LeBonheur.jpg

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Anyone have any news/info about these two projects just north of Union/Front: Grade Hotel and 52 South Front? Will they be linked or are they separate?

Grade Hotel: http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/sto...53600%5E1487015

52 South Front: http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories.../04/story2.html

Archimania site (see evolving): http://www.archimania.com/

Rendering:

55028-400-0.jpg

I'm still not sure about 52 S. Front. Awhile back CCC listed this as being in the design phase, then upgraded it to being in the 'under construction' phase, and now they have taken it off the CCC's current projects list all together....don't know if the project's still on the boards, but anyone who's driven down Front to take a look recently could tell you it definitely isn't under construction.

I haven't seen this posted anywhere yet, so I'll post it here.

LeBonheur Children's Medical Center is building a new 12-story, $327 million facility DT that should be complete in 2010. Smith &amp; Nephew just gave them a million-dollar donation for the project, according to the MBJ.

This will make a great addition to that portion of the Memphis skyline - not to mention the economic benefits of having 2 fantastic pediatric care centers next to each other.

LeBonheur.jpg

Rardy, is this building going to front Poplar right up on the street? I'm having trouble putting the building into perspective with familiar streets.

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I'm still not sure about 52 S. Front. Awhile back CCC listed this as being in the design phase, then upgraded it to being in the 'under construction' phase, and now they have taken it off the CCC's current projects list all together....don't know if the project's still on the boards, but anyone who's driven down Front to take a look recently could tell you it definitely isn't under construction.

Rardy, is this building going to front Poplar right up on the street? I'm having trouble putting the building into perspective with familiar streets.

Yes, it'll be off Poplar - not sure how close though - and Washington.

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I'm still not sure about 52 S. Front. Awhile back CCC listed this as being in the design phase, then upgraded it to being in the 'under construction' phase, and now they have taken it off the CCC's current projects list all together....don't know if the project's still on the boards, but anyone who's driven down Front to take a look recently could tell you it definitely isn't under construction.

Rardy, is this building going to front Poplar right up on the street? I'm having trouble putting the building into perspective with familiar streets.

It is going to be on the site of the current MMHI (the big gray ugly building on Poplar). I think the long side of the building will face Poplar.

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  • 2 weeks later...

According to today's CA, 200 Madison - the triangular shaped building you can see from the stands in AutoZone Park - the building that was bought by the Memphis Regional Chamber and slated to become their headquarters - the building designed by Memphis' most well-known architect Frank Gassner - a building in the heart of Memphis' urban core - will be turned into surface parking if Nick Clark gets his way.

Real estate developer Nick Clark, chair of the chamber's facilities committee, said the demolition and sale of the 36,000-square-foot building would remove an obstacle to the redevelopment of surrounding buildings like the landmark Sterick tower and provide much-needed parking for existing businesses and venues.

"It would be a vacant piece of land that wouldn't be a detriment to Downtown as well as provide an asset in terms of providing parking for AutoZone Park and surrounding buildings, including First Tennessee," Clark said. "The challenge we face is if we make a choice to preserve this building how does it impact our ability to preserve surrounding buildings?"

How would a vacant piece of land be an ASSET to DT?? How spaces max would you get out of a surface lot? 100? And 100 new parking spaces are somehow supposed to suddenly make the Sterick rehabitable? NO.

article here>>.

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The building in question may not be my favorite sort of building, but I heartily agree with you that a parking lot is hardly an asset. Surface parking at that! Is creative thought from developers waning, or is it just that it's simply the easy way out to bring on the bulldozers? Preservationists might want to broaden their scope a bit to include more buildings of recent vintage.

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A parking lot opens the lot up for redevelopment, plus in the meantime creates a revenue stream on a property that otherwise would not be making a return and proving a net financial liability in the form of property taxes and insurance costs. Has anybody shown interest in the structure for a new use besides when the Chamber bought it? If this was a private entity and not the Chamber would people be as bothered by it?

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Is the interior of the Sterick in horrible condition? I'm really surprised that there is not a line of potential investors a mile long for the Sterick. It's an absolute gem of a building. Is the foootprint of the floors difficult to renovate? There must be a reason that it hasn't found the right suitor yet.

Edited by tombarnes
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The same thing could be said for the Sterick...

At some point that will have to be addressed, as much as we might not like to think it will. Somebody is going to have to step up with the viable plans and the financial backing to rehab it, otherwise a similar fate awaits it - either for structural or financial reasons. I am the first to want to see it rehabbed, but thats just the reality of the situation. Hopefully it will not come to that. :dunno:

Is the interior of the Sterick in horrible condition? I'm really surprised that there is not a line of potential investors a mile long for the Sterick. It's an absolute gem of a building. Is the foootprint of the floors difficult to renovate? There must be a reason that it hasn't found the right suitor yet.

From the pictures I have seen it is in pretty bad shape, not as bad as the King Edward Hotel, but still plenty bad. Bringing it up to meet modern safety and design codes would I think be one of the biggest problems due to its height and design. It would take an developer with deep pockets to pull it off.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

not even a little bit. i was going to try and remain open-minded about it though, just in case you guys liked it. i don't like it a bit.

the good thing though is that the rest of the campus is just like that (authentic '60's and '70's), so it will fit right in.

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where is it located, and who is the architect?

The rendering style itself has a 60s or 70s style to it. A guy wearing a business suit and hat should be walking down the sidewalk.

For me, the really bad part of the 60s and 70s would be poor urban relationships -- offsets and surface parking lots. I can't tell what kind of relationship it will have. The right and front look like they're next to a parking lot, but that's probably a hallucination from the rendering style.

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where is it located, and who is the architect?

The rendering style itself has a 60s or 70s style to it. A guy wearing a business suit and hat should be walking down the sidewalk.

For me, the really bad part of the 60s and 70s would be poor urban relationships -- offsets and surface parking lots. I can't tell what kind of relationship it will have. The right and front look like they're next to a parking lot, but that's probably a hallucination from the rendering style.

The article doesn't say much aside from the fact it will be on Madison on the UT campus (I'm assuming on the former Baptist site, but I don't know that for sure).

Here's the article. Sorry I didn't post this sooner!

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