Center City Commission

[bluff2085]

What is your opinion of the CCC? Jeff Sanford, Andy Kitsinger, and Lee Warren seem to be the right men for the job. How successful to you think they are? Should their role in DT politics be larger or smaller?

[memphis born]

What is your opinion of the CCC? Jeff Sanford, Andy Kitsinger, and Lee Warren seem to be the right men for the job. How successful to you think they are? Should their role in DT politics be larger or smaller?

I think they are doing a good job as far as attracting developers to the city. Many of the current projects happening downtown are directly related to the CCC marketing effort. I do think they should be more proactive in dealing with some of the politics downtown. They have made a major investment in the infracstrue and should be more visible and accessible to residents and citizens.

[jmduke]

They are doing a good job despite the city's politics, and it may be best they keep only a small role in Memphis' politics without trying to overplay their hand. The CCC has done a fine job in promotions (TV show, web, other advertising), and in the practical (property research and deed consolidation making it easier for developers to buy and renovate blocks of property).

My main quibble with them is I perceive they are not as focused as they should be on attracting major employers (say 500+ employees in one location) downtown. It will be harder to sustain future residential and retail growth if downtown cannot substantially increase its workforce. Growth prospects look decent with St. Jude's expansion and the transformation of the Medical Center, but SunTrust's recent discussions of cutbacks downtown and little effort to promote and develop downtown as a viable Class A office area are troubling. I agree with their Live, Work, Play marketing focus, and Living and Playing have been undeniable successes, but it's time they gave Work the primary focus.

That quibble aside, if you compare downtown from 1986 to 2006, there's no question they have been successful. I want to see them keep the positive trend going.

[memphis born]

They are doing a good job despite the city's politics, and it may be best they keep only a small role in Memphis' politics without trying to overplay their hand. The CCC has done a fine job in promotions (TV show, web, other advertising), and in the practical (property research and deed consolidation making it easier for developers to buy and renovate blocks of property).

My main quibble with them is I perceive they are not as focused as they should be on attracting major employers (say 500+ employees in one location) downtown. It will be harder to sustain future residential and retail growth if downtown cannot substantially increase its workforce. Growth prospects look decent with St. Jude's expansion and the transformation of the Medical Center, but SunTrust's recent discussions of cutbacks downtown and little effort to promote and develop downtown as a viable Class A office area are troubling. I agree with their Live, Work, Play marketing focus, and Living and Playing have been undeniable successes, but it's time they gave Work the primary focus.

That quibble aside, if you compare downtown from 1986 to 2006, there's no question they have been successful. I want to see them keep the positive trend going.

jmduke I agree, the CCC does need to focus more on attracting major employers. The Central business district has several buildings available for class A office space. Sterick Building is a prime example of that. I would like to see them recruit some of the businessess in the Poplar/Ridgeway corridor ie; Marsh, Sedgewick etc. Overall they have done a good job, but more attention is needed in the business sector.