The Monarch

[Bears]

Apartment to condo conversions are taking place all over town.

http://www.builderonline.com/industry-news...rticleID=312667

Here's the condo's website http://www.themonarchmemphis.com

East Memphis certainly has the most potential for new skyscrapers. The 6% office vacancy will fill up quick once the biotech industry gets going in the next couple of years. What ever happened to the grandview project?

[bluff2085]

I'm guessing it won't hurt that this building is less than 100 feet from a 2-track section of Memphis' very busy east/west rail corridor.

East Memphis certainly has the most potential for new skyscrapers. The 6% office vacancy will fill up quick once the biotech industry gets going in the next couple of years. What ever happened to the grandview project?

I drove by the site the other day--the billboard was still up. It used to be a heavily wooded area, but it looks like some of the trees have already been cleared. Can't wait to see this one go up! As far a new office high rises are concerned, (if they do decide to build one out east), it would be cool to see one go up on the schnuck's/home depot side of the tracks--right across the street from clark tower. Much of the property is surface parking lots, and neighborhood opposition wouldn't be much of an issue.

[cdarr]

I'm guessing it won't hurt that this building is less than 100 feet from a 2-track section of Memphis' very busy east/west rail corridor.

I drove by the site the other day--the billboard was still up. It used to be a heavily wooded area, but it looks like some of the trees have already been cleared. Can't wait to see this one go up! As far a new office high rises are concerned, (if they do decide to build one out east), it would be cool to see one go up on the schnuck's/home depot side of the tracks--right across the street from clark tower. Much of the property is surface parking lots, and neighborhood opposition wouldn't be much of an issue.

The Monarch is actually an existing apartment building...it's right at the end of my street. And I imagine that building is soundproofed fairly well. The Norfolk-Southern line you're referring to has something like 25 trains per day. I hear plenty of whistles when the trains cross Estate.

The mention of the railroad brings up another thought. If we could get NS to relocate their landlocked yard somewhere else, like maybe Southwest Memphis, their existing right-of-way would make an ideal commuter rail line. As I've said before, I think this corridor needs to be the focus of the MATA TRAC program. They should concentrate on connecting as many high-density areas and popular destinations as possible, and a downtown-to-Collierville line would do just that. You could have the medical district, fairgrounds, CBU, UofM, Oak Court, Clark Tower, Poplar/Ridgeway, Kirby, Germantown, Southwind, and Collierville.

[bluff2085]

The Monarch is actually an existing apartment building...it's right at the end of my street. And I imagine that building is soundproofed fairly well. The Norfolk-Southern line you're referring to has something like 25 trains per day. I hear plenty of whistles when the trains cross Estate.

The mention of the railroad brings up another thought. If we could get NS to relocate their landlocked yard somewhere else, like maybe Southwest Memphis, their existing right-of-way would make an ideal commuter rail line. As I've said before, I think this corridor needs to be the focus of the MATA TRAC program. They should concentrate on connecting as many high-density areas and popular destinations as possible, and a downtown-to-Collierville line would do just that. You could have the medical district, fairgrounds, CBU, UofM, Oak Court, Clark Tower, Poplar/Ridgeway, Kirby, Germantown, Southwind, and Collierville.

cdarr, I agree this line would be excellent for commuter rail--the sooner the freight can use another line the better. BTW, I knew this building already existed--I live just a few blocks down the road! I'm gonna take a guess and say you live on Hayne?

[Psalm 91]

Wish it could be taller.

[HKG]

Apartment to condo conversions are taking place all over town.

http://www.builderonline.com/industry-news...rticleID=312667

Here's the condo's website http://www.themonarchmemphis.com

East Memphis certainly has the most potential for new skyscrapers. The 6% office vacancy will fill up quick once the biotech industry gets going in the next couple of years. What ever happened to the grandview project?

Ohh. This must be east wtf. The biotech industry will fill up where free money will be had, read: medical district. Honestly, I could care less what east memphis is doing right now.

[sleepy]

I believe I've read somewhere--maybe on the yahoo memphis rail transit board--that there were plans afoot to reroute rail traffic outside the city.

[Bears]

I believe I've read somewhere--maybe on the yahoo memphis rail transit board--that there were plans afoot to reroute rail traffic outside the city.

Yeah the Collierville rail line would get lots of ridership. Here's an exceprt from an article from 2002 about Memphis' light rail future:

Many cities use abandoned railroad lines for their light-rail routes, but as one of the nation's largest shipping centers, Memphis' rail lines are still used for freight. Gray says a new billion-dollar rail center is being planned that would reroute the city's five major rail lines to southwest Memphis. The new rail-yard could free up the city's rail lines for passenger traffic and keep roads from being obstructed by trains.Article

Edit-According to his article, the superterminal is open http://www.portofmemphis.com/news_June_29_2005.asp

Which rail lines were abandoned?

[Clobber]

Yeah the Collierville rail line would get lots of ridership. Here's an exceprt from an article from 2002 about Memphis' light rail future:

Many cities use abandoned railroad lines for their light-rail routes, but as one of the nation's largest shipping centers, Memphis' rail lines are still used for freight. Gray says a new billion-dollar rail center is being planned that would reroute the city's five major rail lines to southwest Memphis. The new rail-yard could free up the city's rail lines for passenger traffic and keep roads from being obstructed by trains.Article

Edit-According to his article, the superterminal is open http://www.portofmemphis.com/news_June_29_2005.asp

Which rail lines were abandoned?

Yeah, the superterminal is probably what they're referring to. Originally was going to be home to all five lines. Now, I think only two are there. UP went to Marion. The other lines announced expansions, two of them not with the superterminal. I think the more down there, the better.

[cdarr]

cdarr, I agree this line would be excellent for commuter rail--the sooner the freight can use another line the better. BTW, I knew this building already existed--I live just a few blocks down the road! I'm gonna take a guess and say you live on Hayne?

Uh oh. If my house gets rolled, I know who to blame.

[cdarr]

I think the only Class I railroad that hasn't either joined the Superterminal or announced their own expansion is the Norfolk-Southern. NS seems to have the most landlocked yard in town, squeezed in between the Fairgrounds and Orange Mound, so it makes sense that they would want to relocate at sometime in the not-too-distant future.

But because of the Superterminal's location (all the way over near the river, south of Presidents Island), it's hard to see how NS would get its trains over there if it abandoned it's current through-town line. There are no lines running across the southern outskirts of the city. Somebody would have to lay lots of track from south of Collierville, across heavily-developed parts of southern Shelby or northern DeSoto counties.

It seems more likely that NS would build a new intermodal yard east of Collierville, perhaps in western Fayette County near Rossville or Piperton.

[Bears]

Ohh. This must be east wtf. The biotech industry will fill up where free money will be had, read: medical district. Honestly, I could care less what east memphis is doing right now.

But don't forget about the indirect jobs it'll spur. Marketing and network adminsitration will probably fill space downtown and out east.

[Bears]

I think the only Class I railroad that hasn't either joined the Superterminal or announced their own expansion is the Norfolk-Southern. NS seems to have the most landlocked yard in town, squeezed in between the Fairgrounds and Orange Mound, so it makes sense that they would want to relocate at sometime in the not-too-distant future.

But because of the Superterminal's location (all the way over near the river, south of Presidents Island), it's hard to see how NS would get its trains over there if it abandoned it's current through-town line. There are no lines running across the southern outskirts of the city. Somebody would have to lay lots of track from south of Collierville, across heavily-developed parts of southern Shelby or northern DeSoto counties.

It seems more likely that NS would build a new intermodal yard east of Collierville, perhaps in western Fayette County near Rossville or Piperton.

Moving to Fayette County is a little more land locked because of the lack of interstate and river. Would it be possible to build railroad tracks along the state line or where large powerlines from substations cut thru? Those areas are long strips of undeveloped land.

[cdarr]

Moving to Fayette County is a little more land locked because of the lack of interstate and river. Would it be possible to build railroad tracks along the state line or where large powerlines from substations cut thru? Those areas are long strips of undeveloped land.

There are some utility rights-of-way in DeSoto County, so perhaps they could string something together. I'm not sure how important river access would be to their site selection - serveral of the major yards in town aren't near the river, and they're actually being expanded. However, interstate access is very important since so much of the frieght on trains now is intermodal - trailers or containers intended to be delivered to their ultimate destination via the road. And eastern Fayette will have that access with the I-269 loop.

[bluff2085]

The mention of the railroad brings up another thought. If we could get NS to relocate their landlocked yard somewhere else, like maybe Southwest Memphis, their existing right-of-way would make an ideal commuter rail line. As I've said before, I think this corridor needs to be the focus of the MATA TRAC program. They should concentrate on connecting as many high-density areas and popular destinations as possible, and a downtown-to-Collierville line would do just that. You could have the medical district, fairgrounds, CBU, UofM, Oak Court, Clark Tower, Poplar/Ridgeway, Kirby, Germantown, Southwind, and Collierville.

Another thing, let's say NS were to move their operations to different tracks today; how would MATA approach making the line commuter-ready. I can think of 3 things they would have to address:

1) 2-way traffic--much of the line is single track.

2) Railroad crossings--would commuter trains enjoy the same right-of-way that the freight trains do now?

3) stops--how many stops should a commuter train from Collierville to DT have (and where) ?

The infrastructure already in place will make this city-splitting rail-line very desirable for MATA's future operations, and I was just thinking what would need to be done to make it happen. How long would it take the city to jump the hurdles? Surely there are other obstacles too.

[Clobber]

Another thing, let's say NS were to move their operations to different tracks today; how would MATA approach making the line commuter-ready. I can think of 3 things they would have to address:

1) 2-way traffic--much of the line is single track.

2) Railroad crossings--would commuter trains enjoy the same right-of-way that the freight trains do now?

3) stops--how many stops should a commuter train from Collierville to DT have (and where) ?

The infrastructure already in place will make this city-splitting rail-line very desirable for MATA's future operations, and I was just thinking what would need to be done to make it happen. How long would it take the city to jump the hurdles? Surely there are other obstacles too.

I don't know much about the answer to (1). I think (2) is easy, they have to have the right of way.

Re (3):

(a) I don't know too much about Collierville, don't they have an old train station by the town square? Is it on the NS line? If so, put one there.

(b) At least one between Collierville and Germantown, maybe at Forest Hill-Irene

[Bears]

Woah when did the talk of this line being a commuter rail? A commuter train would be bad IMO because it would mean less stops and less service. It'll be similar to Nashvilles Music City Star. I think we should model ourselves after St. Louis' Metrolink. Its a crosstown light rail line much like ours but theirs goes over the Mississippi unlike ours. Map Info

(a) I don't know too much about Collierville, don't they have an old train station by the town square?

Beyond that, I am not familiar where the NS line goes... Does it go by the airport? I tried to go with fewer stops. More maybe necessary.

I don't recall a station but they have a Town Square that would be an obvious stop.

Here's what I would propose for stops...

-Lamar- Glenview Park transfer for Airport line

-Cooper

-East Parkway-Libertyland

-Early Maxwell Coca Cola Plant/transfer stop for Cordova line (Park & Ride)

-Memphis Country Club

-Highland

-University of Memphis stops

-Audobon Park and Oak Court Mall Stop

-Mendenhall

-Truse Parkway/ Underground or overhead walkway across Poplar to White Station Library (Infront of Clark Tower and White Station Tower)

-White Station Road

-Estate Road

-St Francis Hospital (Possible Future underground Path w/ food court and banks to that "Super Target" development, Holiday Inn, Cresent Center, and Hilton Hotel)

-Ridgeway-MUS

-Kirby

-Germantown Road (Future transfer Germantown Parkway light rail)

-Morgan Woods Park/Germantown High School at Poplar Pike and Southern

-Hacks Cross Road (Park & Ride)

-Forest Hill Irene

-Houston Levee

-Baily Station

-Byhalia Road

-Collierville Town Square

-Piperton (Park and Ride)

Alot of MATA bus routes will have to feed this line and change their schedules to every 30 minutes instead of one or two hours on most routes.

EDIT-lol this thread has gone way off topic so it should probably be merged with my MATATRAC thread

[Clobber]

Woah when did the talk of this line being a commuter rail? A commuter train would be bad IMO because it would mean less stops and less service. It'll be similar to Nashvilles Music City Star. I think we should model ourselves after St. Louis' Metrolink. Its a crosstown light rail line much like ours but theirs goes over the Mississippi unlike ours. Map Info

I don't recall a station but they have a Town Square that would be an obvious stop.

Here's what I would propose for stops...

-Lamar- Glenview Park transfer for Airport line

-Cooper

-East Parkway-Libertyland

-Early Maxwell Coca Cola Plant/transfer stop for Cordova line (Park & Ride)

-Memphis Country Club

-Highland

-University of Memphis stops

-Audobon Park and Oak Court Mall Stop

-Mendenhall

-Truse Parkway/ Underground or overhead walkway across Poplar to White Station Library (Infront of Clark Tower and White Station Tower)

-White Station Road

-Estate Road

-St Francis Hospital (Possible Future underground Path w/ food court and banks to that "Super Target" development, Holiday Inn, Cresent Center, and Hilton Hotel)

-Ridgeway-MUS

-Kirby

-Germantown Road (Future transfer Germantown Parkway light rail)

-Morgan Woods Park/Germantown High School at Poplar Pike and Southern

-Hacks Cross Road (Park & Ride)

-Forest Hill Irene

-Houston Levee

-Baily Station

-Byhalia Road

-Collierville Town Square

-Piperton (Park and Ride)

Alot of MATA bus routes will have to feed this line and change their schedules to every 30 minutes instead of one or two hours on most routes.

EDIT-lol this thread has gone way off topic so it should probably be merged with my MATATRAC thread

I'm assuming your suggestions contains alternatives to each other (i.e. St. Francis is so close to Ridgeway it's essentially the same stop)? And I agree, I'd prefer light rail . . .

[Bears]

^Yeah I when I thought about those stops, I had to look at google maps. The St Francis stop will be on the far northwest corner of St. Francis so its more accessible to the hotels. An underground tunnel will be needed because there its not safe walking across those offramps. The MUS/Ridgeway stop will probably be for bus transfers, students in the morning and afternoon, and events at the school and Cresent Center.

That way, its not too far of a walk from the hotel guests, students, and shoppers who want to go to the shopping center. Memphis weather is almost unbearable in the summer so close, sheltered stations will help ridership.

Here's a question. Will these trains stop at every station or will they have to be requested?

I forgot to add a stop at Colonial too. Close to Target and White Station High School