General Memphis Photos, Past and Present

[Nashtitans]

19 hours ago, dxfret said:

100 North Main, the tallest building in Memphis, is completely empty, falling apart and dark in the above skyline photo.  Planned redevelopment work there has never materialized.  Also, the Sterrick Building, one of the other tallest buildings, has been empty and falling apart for more than a decade.  In fact, there has been little change in the profile of the downtown Memphis skyline in the past 20 years.

Yeah Memphis skyline hasn't really changed in the last 20 years. Memphis has too many problems, the main one being corrupt government. But I thought plans were made to revitalize 100 north main? damn it never went through? I hope One Beale happens (knowing how the city is, I doubt it, but who knows).

 

Crazy how nashville has grown so much and Memphis is just stagnant and losing.

[Memphis4ever]

You can get really good pictures of the skyline from the new park in West Memphis Arkansas on the flood plain, I highly recommend people drive there and explore its a huge park.

[Tennessine]

Love this! Do you have any construction updates for Spring 2018?

[Memphis4ever]

On ‎3‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 9:10 PM, nativetenn said:

Love this! Do you have any construction updates for Spring 2018?

Actually I do they are in the new construction section.  But I have some more recent ones to post.  Two Nice midtown apartment complexes are coming out the ground, St jude is clearing ground for a pretty cool office building, Hilton downtown is almost complete and several other buildings near Madison are being renovated in hotel indigo etc.  Also the wonderbread factory is almost demolished to make way for  a large mixed use development at danny Thomas in the edge district.

 

[BnaBreaker]

A brilliant six minute video of Memphis drone footage by Brian Siskind... though you might want to turn the sound off (you'll see what I mean): 

 

[dxfret]

Nice drone shots of The Bluff City.  It reminds me of just how little the skyline of downtown Memphis has changed in several decades.  Sadly two of the tallest buildings downtown are totally empty and closed (100 North Main and The Sterrick Bldg.).  The Mississippi riverfront is a huge asset and hopefully Memphis will make improvements in the near future.  

[smeagolsfree]

Good footage. At least you still have your street car. Good news there. There are plans for the Sterrick Building isn't there?

Just need some good investment downtown. 

[Memphis4ever]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 1:40 PM, dxfret said:

Nice drone shots of The Bluff City.  It reminds me of just how little the skyline of downtown Memphis has changed in several decades.  Sadly two of the tallest buildings downtown are totally empty and closed (100 North Main and The Sterrick Bldg.).  The Mississippi riverfront is a huge asset and hopefully Memphis will make improvements in the near future.  

100 North main has a New York Investor,  its to be renovated and 2 more 30 story towers to be built surrounding it.

[East Side Urbanite]

The Sterrick Building is a masterpiece. To see it save will be wonderful.

Nice aerial video, too.

WW

 

 

[MLBrumby]

Here is a link to an interesting site with lots of content about Memphis history. Interesting... https://csnbbs.com/printthread.php?tid=421895&page=1

[dxfret]

“Memphis offers to pay to keep Graceland.”  Nashville is prominently mentioned in this latest strange news development from the Bluff City.   Are things really as bad in Memphis as this The Wall Street Journal report portrays?

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/memphis-offers-to-pay-to-keep-graceland-11554638400?emailToken=d409a2e322a409d43290798e487c12d47dwyN2a+IfkuVEfZnbEybYTOSeGvsGQpqsDdpd7vHgrl/FyZBmL8fcAVeVS4w1Pz5FjNIl36Dv4yDSjc9pbMVILKH6lWejCvy2yUcTpPyoI%3D&reflink=article_copyURL_share

[Memphis4ever]

General photos from tonight.  Baseball stadium pics, and some of the new renovated buildings to hotels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[21jump]

Great photos! Soccer mathes have really torn up the grass at AutoZone Park, one of the best MiLB ballparks deserves better grass than that.

[Memphis4ever]

7 hours ago, 21jump said:

Great photos! Soccer mathes have really torn up the grass at AutoZone Park, one of the best MiLB ballparks deserves better grass than that.

I agree the grass has been looking terrible.

 

[James Owen]

9 hours ago, 21jump said:

Great photos! Soccer mathes have really torn up the grass at AutoZone Park, one of the best MiLB ballparks deserves better grass than that.

Good point. A fair argument can be said that other minor league ballparks which share a field with a USL club go through similar problems like this, especially when you're having to put in temporary sod over the dirt areas of the field before every match. May need to write a letter to the owners about that.

[dxfret]

Downtown Memphis looks sleepy.  If only they could do something about 100 North Main and the Sterrick Bldg.  It’s sad to see two of the city’s tallest buildings empty and deteriorating. Things always seem to move slowly in the Bluff City. 

Also with Raymond James leaving its namesake downtown office tower for East Memphis, there will be even more empty office space to fill downtown. 

Edited August 19, 2019 by dxfret

[Memphis4ever]

4 hours ago, dxfret said:

Downtown Memphis looks sleepy.  If only they could do something about 100 North Main and the Sterrick Bldg.  It’s sad to see two of the city’s tallest buildings empty and deteriorating. Things always seem to move slowly in the Bluff City. 

Also with Raymond James leaving its namesake downtown office tower for East Memphis, there will be even more empty office space to fill downtown. 

While the sterrick and 100 north main are empty all the buildings around the sterrick are now open with new offices and hotels, downtown is doing well and those 2 buildings will not be empty too long.  The sterrick will be the last existing building to be remodeled im sure due to expense of restoring and dealing with the very low ceiling heights.  Keep in mind I was not on the main thoroughfares of downtown.  Also 100 north main is caught up in a court battle with the new convention center hotel so there should be some resolution soon.

[dxfret]

The Sterrick Bldg. has been empty since the mid-1980’s and 100 North Main Street has been empty for the past 5 years.

Both buildings have serious issues and are deteriorating rapidly.  This was documented in a photo series a few years ago in the Commercial Appeal newspaper. The costs and legal issues to rehab either would be astronomical.   Both have huge asbestos and fire safety issues, low ceilings and 100 N Main has a parking structure at its base that is barely serviceable because of its small size.  My guess is that both structures will eventually meet the wrecking ball as new construction would be far more cost effective. 

The upcoming move of Raymond James from its downtown building, formerly known as Morgan Keegan tower,  will leave the building almost completely vacant.  This building will also require major investment to rehab, especially the elevator system which is why Raymond James decided to leave downtown Memphis per recent commercial news stories. 

[21jump]

14 hours ago, James Owen said:

Good point. A fair argument can be said that other minor league ballparks which share a field with a USL club go through similar problems like this, especially when you're having to put in temporary sod over the dirt areas of the field before every match. May need to write a letter to the owners about that.

I agree with you. The Oakland A's/Raiders come to mind also and I'm curious how they manage the grass there during football season. My hope is that the University of Memphis and the USL club can get a joint facility built on the Park Ave Campus or somewhere else close to the university. NOT out in Collierville.

[VSRJ]

19 hours ago, dxfret said:

The Sterrick Bldg. has been empty since the mid-1980’s and 100 North Main Street has been empty for the past 5 years.

Both buildings have serious issues and are deteriorating rapidly.  This was documented in a photo series a few years ago in the Commercial Appeal newspaper. The costs and legal issues to rehab either would be astronomical.   Both have huge asbestos and fire safety issues, low ceilings and 100 N Main has a parking structure at its base that is barely serviceable because of its small size.  My guess is that both structures will eventually meet the wrecking ball as new construction would be far more cost effective. 

Crosstown Concourse would like to have a word with you. And the Tennessee Brewery. And many, many others.

Derelict buildings in far worse conditions have been brought back to life. Sterick's situation is unique in that different entities own the building and lease the land: https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2018/11/12/sterick-building-hits-the-market-with-serious.html

One of the things that Memphis excels at is adaptive reuse. If any city can revive the Sterick or 100 N. Main, it's Memphis.

[dxfret]

Something definitely needs to be done about both the Sterrick Building and 100 North Main.  After so many years being empty and abandoned, both structures have become huge eyesores and very large pieces of urban blight on the downtown skyline.  Both have been talked about for years, yet nothing has ever materialized to save them.  It would require very deep pockets for certain.  

The Sterrick Building is quite handsome and would be great if it could be saved. 100 North Main is far less appealing.  The old, painted-over, UP (Union Planters Bank) sign on the roof really hurts the building’s appearance from any distance and some of the exterior cladding has fallen off requiring the sidewalk closures.  

I know of no other US city with such large downtown towers that are sitting empty for years.  If even one of these was renewed it would really help activate a lot of downtown Memphis, especially the north end which is really devoid of street activity, especially at night.  I fear with the coming vacancies in the Raymond James building, these two will continue to linger unused and abandoned. 

Edited August 20, 2019 by dxfret

[bnacincy]

The Sterrick Building was pretty much empty when I was living there (1990-1994) and it may be beyond hope. The interior has probably rotted out and it may be too expensive to save.

It's been dead for almost 30 years and nobody wants it.

Reality at some point has to be faced.

100 North Main is probably in better shape but it will cost a pretty penny to renovate.

[James Owen]

4 hours ago, bnacincy said:

100 North Main is probably in better shape but it will cost a pretty penny to renovate.

The current owners (Townhouse Management out of New York) had pitched a plan for a complete redo of the entire building into a glass-cladded hotel with ballroom and conference space (possibly some residences as well), but those efforts are on hold at the moment while litigation is going on between them, the city, and the owners of the Sheraton who are trying to block a new Loews from being built right next door to 100 North Main. Townhouse had partnered with Loews originally, but both sides wound up going their separate ways, and they decided to seek a new hotel brand to occupy the renovated tower.

[Memphis4ever]

On 8/20/2019 at 2:42 PM, dxfret said:

Something definitely needs to be done about both the Sterrick Building and 100 North Main.  After so many years being empty and abandoned, both structures have become huge eyesores and very large pieces of urban blight on the downtown skyline.  Both have been talked about for years, yet nothing has ever materialized to save them.  It would require very deep pockets for certain.  

The Sterrick Building is quite handsome and would be great if it could be saved. 100 North Main is far less appealing.  The old, painted-over, UP (Union Planters Bank) sign on the roof really hurts the building’s appearance from any distance and some of the exterior cladding has fallen off requiring the sidewalk closures.  

I know of no other US city with such large downtown towers that are sitting empty for years.  If even one of these was renewed it would really help activate a lot of downtown Memphis, especially the north end which is really devoid of street activity, especially at night.  I fear with the coming vacancies in the Raymond James building, these two will continue to linger unused and abandoned. 

While I know those 2 large buildings are empty it is due to the complexity and cost of renovation.  Morgan Keegan building will be far from empty as Raymond James only occupied the23rd floor.  They are currently in the process of doing upgrades as there is scaffolding and ropes erected to the top of the building.  There is so much development in downtown Memphis right now that may not be as  vertical as Nashville but its happening, we can not underscore the growth.  Also to note the clipper office tower will be breaking ground soon as fedex is signing a lease to occupy most of the proposed tower.  The fact that FedEx is moving corporate offices downtown should speak volumes.  I figure as those office move in Fed Ex will ultimately build Tennessee's tallest tower because they totally could.  

Also lets not forget the convention center is under construction the exterior will be done last so lets not be so negative towards Memphis and understand that our growth is different from Nashville but it will catch up pretty soon.

[dxfret]

No negativity towards Memphis but these are two vastly different cities.  Catching up with Nashville simply is not going to happen.   By every measure (economy, corporate, employment, education, tourism, conventions, etc.) Nashville is light years ahead.   Nashville and it’s MSA is one the nation’s fastest-growing cities, while the Memphis MSA remains stagnant and the city of Memphis has a declining population.