Businesses hopeful Southwest can improve flight options, pricing
Memphis Daily News

“We have to face facts. We’ve always been the smallest market in the United States to have an airline hub,” said Cox. “Over time because of the price of fuel, because Atlanta is bigger than Memphis, and because Minneapolis and Detroit are bigger and more prosperous hubs, Memphis and Cincinnati have been right-sized to between roughly 120 and 150 (Delta) flights per day on average.”

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/30/seeking-friendlier-skies/

(Photo: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/13533.jpg?id=13533&maxWidth=250

Sterick back in the news. Also, there's rumor that there was a group of investors who viewed the 1930s art-deco scraper recently.

Memphis officials pushing for plan to redevelop long-vacant Sterick Building
The Commercial Appeal

Downtown officials are pressing for a feasibility study of mixed-use development of the Sterick Building and national marketing of the empty landmark once the study is completed.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/03/memphis-officials-pushing-plan-redevelop-long-vaca/?partner=popular

Photo by Alan Spearman
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/03/APPCROP_assterick7_t607.jpg

$200 million mixed-used development in Munford to begin first phase
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/05/04/200-million-mixed-used-development-in.html

SOLOMITO LAND PLANNING
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webRetirementMunfordFinalSITEPLAN.jpg?v=1
Site plan rendering of part of Village at Green Meadows, which includes 136 single-family dwellings.

Yet more improvements for the 62,000 seat Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The University Of Memphis Tigers, now of the Big East Conference, will have the 6th largest video scoreboard in all of college football. More to come...

FedEx presents $2.5 million donation to U of M for Liberty Bowl video board
The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/30/fedex-presents-25-million-donation-u-m-liberty-bow/

Photo by Brandon Dill
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/02/tiger_foot_t607.jpg

This could potentially be very good for Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium revenues if this USFL relaunch does indeed come to fruition. I recommend the Washington Post link below for more details. This time around the USFL will not challenge the NFL and will be a 2nd-tier developmental league with the NFL having some access.

Memphis on USFL’s short list for football team in 2013
Memphis Business Journal

Memphis is among the 8 cities the USFL is targeting for teams. The cities mentioned by the AP are locations without NFL teams and with stadiums that are unused during the spring and summer months. The Memphis Showboats of the USFL played in the Liberty Bowl from 1984 until the league folded in 1987 and featured NFL hall of famer Reggie White. The Showboats made the USFL playoffs in 1985 and were considered among the more viable USFL franchises with solid attendance throughout their two-season run. Unlike the first time around, the USFL will own all the teams rather than rely on local ownership, and not attempt to challenge the NFL for players or payroll.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/05/memphis-on-usfls-short-list-for.html

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/webLibertyBowl09.jpg?v=1

More on the story from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/usfl-relaunching-next-march-hall-of-fame-receiver-fred-biletnikoff-involved/2012/05/10/gIQAR6jFGU_story.html

With the coming 10-story expansion tower for the Downtown Marriott @ Cook Convention Center & this development, make that 370 hotel rooms under-construction in the Convention/ Pinch District.

The Pyramid plan takes shape
Bass Pro design includes hotel; city buys nearby land
The Commercial Appeal

Plans to transform The Pyramid into a Bass Pro Shops super store now include a three-story hotel encircling the arena floor... Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris -- who has made 15 to 20 trips to the building -- has decided to add a 210-room hotel on three floors in The Pyramid's interior. The building will be stocked with outdoor goods arrayed among wildlife displays to seem as much like a theme park as a retail store.

Meanwhile, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton recently signed a contract to acquire the nearby Lone Star Industries property. Existing structures there will be torn down and replaced with green space, to improve the area's connection to the Mississippi River and Memphis Cook Convention Center.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/14/pyramid-plan-takes-shape/

INTERIOR Photo by Chris Desmond, EXTERIOR Photo by Jim Weber
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/13/14pyramid2_t607.jpeg http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/13/jwcement_APP_t607.jpg

Ford to propose Memphis taxpayers contribute $2 million to redevelop the Chisca
The Commercial Appeal

Councilman Edmund Ford wants city government to sink $2 million into a $19.5-million redevelopment of the historic Chisca Hotel... The Church of God in Christ has had the long-vacant hotel at 272 S. Main under contract since last October to sell to an investor group including some of the principals in One Commerce Square ownership. They include Gary Prosterman, Karl and Gail Schledwitz and Terry Lynch. The would-be buyers propose to convert the eight-story, 98-year-old hotel into a mixed-used development including smaller apartments on upper floors and ground-floor retail.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/14/ford-propose-memphis-taxpayers-contribute-2m-redev/?CID=happeningnow

Photo by Nikki Boertman
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/14/chisca_appcrop_t607.jpg

Historic cobblestones ready to undergo $6 million restoration
Memphis Daily News

The cobblestones will include a ramp area for launching canoes and kayaks in the Memphis harbor but not motorized boats. The area will remain accessible to automobiles and have a walkway by the river’s edge as well as two east-west paved walkways leading to the river.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/16/riverfront-rehab/

(Photo: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/13629.jpg?maxWidth=800&maxHeight=600

^^ great projects :)

Memphis-area planners consider area around I-269
The alternative is 'haphazard' development
The Commercial Appeal

As transportation officials and local planners see it, the highway project also will be the catalyst for a whirlwind of development. In an effort to help shape what kind of development occurs, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability are embarking on studies of the I-269 corridor. The work will deal with land-use, environmental and transportation issues.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/20/planners-consider-area-around-i-269/?partner=popular

The Commercial Appeal
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/05/19/20_corridor_map_t607.jpeg

I think the Clark tower from page one would look really great in milwaukee's skyline, somewhere near city hall and the M&I building

Bids will soon be solicited for final phase of Beale Street Landing
Memphis Business Journal

The permit is for a river park with landscaping, wood decks, kid’s play area, concrete pavings and landscaped terraces. Dubbed phase 4b, the park enhancements include two guitar pick-shaped islands and an ADA-compliant walkway.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/05/bids-will-soon-be-solicited-for-final.html

Image: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/WebNewsCarBealeSt.LandingRoof.jpg?v=1

Memphis named ‘Most Improved’ for bicycling
Memphis Business Journal

The editors of Rodale Inc.’s Bicycling Magazine Bicycling Magazine Latest from The Business Journals Bicycling up 33 percent in Twin Cities, walking up 17 percentVolcano, wind-power pollution energize DBJ onlineBicycling: 3 Colorado cities among friendliest to bikes Follow this company named Memphis as the “Most Improved City” in its annual Best Bike City in America rankings. Cited as one of the country’s worst cycling cities in both 2008 and 2010, Bicycling noted that Memphis has since hired its first-ever bike-pedestrian coordinator and added 35 miles of new bike lanes, putting the city on track to exceed Mayor A C Wharton’s commitment of building 55 miles of bike facilities by more than 10 miles by the end of this summer.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/memphis-in-motion/2012/05/memphis-named-most-improved-for.html

U of M faculty, students get business collaboration lab
Memphis Business Journal

The University of Memphis is expected to begin a $2 million renovation of a former Masonic Lodge near its campus that will be used as a breeding ground for new business.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/05/25/u-of-m-faculty-students-get-business.html

LRK INC. | COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/WebCrewsventureslabmsu.jpg?v=1

Finally...

Southwest, Clear Channel reach deal paving way for construction of nursing building
Memphis Business Journal

Southwest Tennessee Community College Southwest Tennessee Community College Latest from The Business Journals Billboard battle stalls construction at Southwest Community CollegeBillboard battle stalls construction in MemphisA C Wharton touts ambitious plans in State of the City address Follow this company hopes to begin construction in September on its $18.2 million Nursing, Natural Sciences and Biotechnology Building, thanks to a confidential agreement the school has struck with Clear Channel Outdoor to remove two billboards on the site. The school is to be built on 1.28 acres at Union and Myrtle, and construction could be completed by fall 2013. However, the school won’t be able to use the building until the spring semester of 2014, said Ron Parr, vice president of financial and administrative services for Southwest.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/05/29/southwest-clear-channel-reach-deal.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webSWTCCNursingBuildingRENDER.jpg?v=1

Another huge expansion in the region for Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Healthcare. This on the heels of their under-construction $300 million hospital in Jonesboro, AR, which is about 60 minutes drive on the Memphis metro's soon to be new interstate highway spur, I-555.

Baptist unveils plans for Oxford, Miss., hospital
Memphis Business Journal

Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi pulled back the curtain on plans for its new $250 million hospital campus in Oxford. The new hospital will occupy a brand new, six-story structure of 680,000 square feet with 217 beds on a 150-acre site selected in April. Among the upgrades at the new site will be • Patient rooms 50 percent larger than existing rooms • An emergency department expansion of more than 25,000 square feet • An intensive care unit expansion to 24 beds with the capacity to add 12 more in the future • Two medical office buildings totaling 40,000 square feet

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/06/18/baptist-unveils-plans-for-oxford.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webNewsCarBMHnMiss.jpg?v=1

Roxul to build $130 million facility near Memphis
Memphis Business Journal

Byhalia, Miss., will be the home of a $130 million manufacturing facility for Milton, Ontario, Canada-based Roxul Inc. The facility will be the company’s first manufacturing facility in the United States. Construction of the 600,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin later this year with production beginning in 2014. It will create 150 new jobs when it is completed.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/06/13/roxul-to-build-130-million-facility.html

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webRoxulChickasawTrailMAP.jpg?v=1

Work is well underway for another major Marriott location that will be opening in the Memphis market. It will occupy the former Holiday Inn Select tower on Poplar Ave. @ I-240 in East Memphis. Other major locations include the 15-story Marriott tower on Perkins @ I-240 & the Downtown Marriott @ Cook Convention Center/ Cannon Center which consist of a 18 story tower, 14-story expansion tower & soon-to-be 10-story expansion tower.

Marriott hiring as renovations continue
Memphis Business Journal

The Memphis Marriott East is expected to be open by Nov. 15, almost one year after Noble Investment Group purchased it. The $20 million renovation of the property, formerly Holiday Inn Select East Memphis, launched in March. Montgomery Martin Contractors is the project’s general contractor. The finished hotel will have 231 rooms and 12 meeting rooms making up 9,395 square feet of meeting space. The largest ballroom will be able to accommodate 350 guests.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/06/15/marriott-hiring-as-renovations-continue.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/websttkMarriotEast.jpg?v=1

Solar gaining power in Tennessee
Memphis connections contribute to rapid growth
Memphis Business Journal

A new report from the Tennessee Solar Institute reveals stats that are becoming obvious: The solar industry is big business in the state, especially in West Tennessee. “The Tennessee Solar Value Chain,” which estimates the growth of solar usage, manufacturing and employment in the state, says that in the last four years, Tennessee has grown its solar usage from one tenth of a megawatt in 2008 to 27 megawatts in 2012. One megawatt of electricity is enough to power 1,000 houses.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/06/15/solar-gaining-power-in-tennessee.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/websolarArrayPkgGarage.jpg?v=1
Memphis Bioworks Foundation used federal incentives to help fund the $3.75 million solar array that is installed on the upper floor of a nearby parking garage.

I am impressed with this operation as it continues further. CEO Charles Wang was promising $1 billion of investment into the production of electric cars in metro Memphis. He has so far delivered on conversion of a large facility in Horn Lake, MS and is currently building a $75 million facility in Tunica, MS.

Bill Clinton to attend GreenTech electric car unveiling in Horn Lake
Memphis Business Journal

Based in McLean, Va., GreenTech opened the 376,000-square foot Horn Lake facility, which currently has about 100 employees, in 2010. The plant at 6266 Hurt Road is located about 10 miles south of Memphis International Airport. GreenTech also is building a $75 million, 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Tunica. The facility is expected to begin production by mid-2013. When completed, GreenTech expects to employ 426 people, including the 100 currently working in Horn Lake.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/06/14/bill-clinton-to-attend-greentech-unveil.html

COURTESY GREENTECH AUTOMOTIVE INC.
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webGreentechCar.jpg?v=1

Federal government makes ‘iconic’ $14.9 million grant for Harahan Bridge project in Downtown Memphis
Memphis Business Journal

In March, the Downtown Memphis Commission approved $2 million in grant matching funds for the $30 million project that would repair portions of Main Street in Downtown Memphis, add pedestrian access to the Harahan Bridge (or ‘the old bridge’) and connect that to West Memphis’ improved Broadway Avenue. The project includes streetscape, utility, sidewalk, roadway, and drainage improvements along Main Street.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/memphis-in-motion/2012/06/feds-grant-millions-for-harahan-bridge.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/WebExRoadway.jpg?v=1

West Memphis wins $11 million grant for rail, port expansion
Memphis Business Journal

The funds will jump start the expansion of the West Memphis Intermodal project, which will increase the industrial and bulk shipping capabilities of the area. Specifically, the $10.9 million will strengthen current rail to allow for heavier cargo loads and extend the existing rail spur by approximately 13,500 feet to the base of the St. Francis Levee. This would allow access to the Port of West Memphis by truck and conveyor and provide for a multimodal transload facility to support expanded export cargo of bulk commodities.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/memphis-in-motion/2012/06/west-memphis-wins-11-million-grant.html

Three more cruise boats to dock in Memphis
Memphis Business Journal

The American Queen will have some company at Beale Street Landing this year. The Yorktown, Grand Caribe and Queen of the Mississippi boats will be docking at the $43 million facility at the terminus of Beale Street.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/memphis-in-motion/2012/06/three-more-cruise-boats-headed-to.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/webAmericanQueen01.jpg?v=1

One of the biggest eyesores in Memphis will be no longer. Instead a bright spot for redevelopment going into the South Main Street district. :cheers:

Downtown board approves Chisca redevelopment tax incentives worth $5.5 million
Memphis Business Journal

The CCRFC board also voted to loan the Downtown Parking Authority $1 million to acquire and renovate the Chisca’s parking garage... They plan to turn the 8-story building into 150 apartments with 5,500-square-feet of ground floor retail space and a parking garage.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/06/12/downtown-board-approves-chisca.html

MBJ | FILE PHOTO
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webChiscaHotel.jpg?v=1

Very cool pic of a model of Bass Pro inside the Pyramid from an AC Wharton tweet.

There's a 'Big Fish' story behind Bass Pro's Memphis store in The Pyramid
The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/21/theres-big-fish-story-behind-bass-pros-memphis-sto/

MAYOR A C WHARTON/TWITTER
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/06/21/4pest_t607.jpg

I'd forgotten how many projects we had in the works. Not to bad for a city the size of Memphis.

40,000 paying visitors a year & looking to double it in 5 years, I'm impressed. Great tourist attraction for the Tupelo Micropolitan Area population: 150,000 and apprx. 35 miles from the Memphis MSA down the soon-to-be designated Interstate 22.

$4.3M Expansion About Complete at Elvis Museum
AP/ Memphis Daily News

The expansion includes a 120-seat theater where fans can watch films and live performances in a 120-seat theater and an outdoor amphitheater with seating for 75. Rock seats have been installed and will be planted with sod to accommodate people with their own chairs. The theater and other additions are part of phase one of the expansion, which also includes last fall's tripling of on-site parking capacity... The goal of the expansion is to double the visitor count to the birthplace during the next five years. It had about 40,000 paying visitors last year, according to the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Phase two includes a larger outdoor amphitheater for at least 700 people and improvements to the overlook.
Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/jun/22/43m-expansion-about-complete-at-elvis-museum/

This premium sample includes a pic of the almost-completed West Village dorms development at the prestigious & growing Rhodes College (highest rated 4 year college in Tennessee by Princeton review?)

Construction firms enjoy 2011 revenue surge, not sure what ‘normal’ is
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/06/22/construction-firms-enjoy-2011-revenue.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webE-ConstFredJustinGrinder.jpg?v=1

Electrolux feeding economy
Contracts for local firms at $64 million; supplier bids up next
Memphis Business Journal

As Electrolux Home Products’ 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility gets closer to completion, the company is beginning the process of awarding equipment contracts while planning the search for suppliers. Electrolux North America chief executive Jack Truong told a group at a Greater Memphis Chamber luncheon earlier this month that the company’s goal is to have the facility completed by the end of 2012. On the construction side, all but $4 million of the $80 million in construction contracts has been awarded by general contractor W.G. Yates & Sons Construction. Nearly $64 million of that has been awarded to local companies...

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/06/22/electrolux-feeding-economy.html

COURTESY ELECTROLUX NORTH AMERICA
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webElectroluxConstructionAerialEMAILED.jpg?v=1
Aerial view of Electrolux Home Products' manufacturing facility construction at Pidgeon Industrial Park.

This article includes a rendering for the soon-to-be under-construction Overton Square parking garage. Also, concept descriptions for the Hattiloo Theatre & other points of interest.

Pair of Memphis architecture firms at heart of Overton Square renovation
Memphis Daily News

LRK Inc. is the architect of record for both Loeb Properties Inc.’s $20 million revitalization of the Midtown theater district and also for the city’s parking garage at Monroe Avenue and Florence Street. And archimania is designing Hattiloo Theatre’s new $2.3 million freestanding theater at Cooper Street and Monroe Avenue. LRK planned the “Heart of the Arts” concept for the city in 2005, a study attempting to create a sustainable arts destination with key anchors Playhouse on the Square, Memphis College of Art, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, The Circuit Playhouse, Rhodes College and Theatreworks.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/jun/25/tying-it-all-together/

(Rendering: Loeb Properties Inc.)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/13864.jpg?maxWidth=800&maxHeight=600

(PREVIOUSLY)

Independent Bank to light up Memphis skyline Saturday
Memphis Business Journal

On Saturday, the bank will celebrate the lighting of the new logo with a fireworks display, reportedly the first from the rooftop of a Downtown Memphis building. Independent Bank also will hold a party on Mud Island for employees, shareholders, members of the Downtown business community and city and county officials; the celebration will culminate with the fireworks show, set to begin at 9 p.m.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/06/independent-bank-to-light-up-memphis.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/ibank%20sign.jpg?v=1

One for Covington Pike Auto Row.

Gossett Motor Cars investing $2.8M to increase Audi inventory
Memphis Business Journal

The building is on 7.19 acres at 1825 Covington Pike, not too far from Gossett Motor Cars’ headquarters...

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/07/13/gossett-motor-cars-investing-28m-to.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webGossettAudiRENDER.jpg?v=1

...And another for the Wolf River Medical Corridor.

West Clinic moving Breast Center to focus on ‘de-fragmentation’ of care
Memphis Business Journal

This week, The West Clinic began renovations to an 11,300-square-foot medical suite at 8000 Wolf River Blvd. When finished, the space will harbor one of the oncology services provider’s two Comprehensive Breast Centers.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/07/13/west-clinic-moving-breast-center-to.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webWestClinicWolfRiverBldg.jpg?v=1

I was wondering what this building was rising in the Thousand Oaks business district near the Marriott tower @ I-240 & Perkins.

National College of Business & Technology building larger campus at Thousand Oaks
Memphis Business Journal

National College of Business & Technology is building a $5 million campus on Thousand Oaks Boulevard to replace its facility on Lamar. At 30,000 square feet, the new campus will double the size of the Lamar facility, which National College opened in 2006. The school opened a 14,500-square-foot campus in Bartlett in 2007, which will remain open.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/07/13/national-college-of-business.html

COURTESY NATIONAL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webNatlCollofBiznTechRENDER.jpg?v=1

is there any likelihood that post #206 and the above increase in audi marketing and product increase in memphis are signs that audi has a big interest in the mega site in haywood county? it would be wonderful news, and perhaps one project that g-man, sparks business school professor, u of m, couldn't put his negative spin on in the region.

^^ Audi execs visited Chattanooga, but chose Mexico for their new North American factory.

Former YMCA set to be reborn as retail center
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/07/27/former-ymca-set-to-be-reborn-as-retail.html

COURTESY LOONEY RICKS KISS
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webYMCArenovationElevcLRK.jpg?v=1
Artist’s rendering of retail center being developed by attorney and University of Memphis neighborhood advocate Cecil Humphreys

COURTESY LOONEY RICKS KISS
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webYMCAWalkerAveImagerycLRK.jpg?v=1
This street scene, from an application for a TDOT grant, shows how improvements to Walker Avenue could look near the University of Memphis campus.

Tunica TV exposing more about the destination than just casinos
Memphis Business Journal

The casinos have made Tunica a destination, but the CVB has worked for years to market other facets of the city and social media, including Tunica’s Facebook site, Twitter feeds and blogs, have exposed other attractions like the Tunica RiverPark.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/03/tunica-tv-exposing-more-about-the.html

Tunica RiverPark excursion boat/ MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webTunicaRiverPark11boat.jpg?v=1

Water Taxis for Mud Island & Wolf River Harbor including Bass Pro @ the Pyramid. :banana:

Plus, a quick mention of a study of the long awaited major-upgrade of Lamar Avenue to a controlled access highway with 2 -3 major interchanges in southeast Memphis at Holmes Rd, Shelby Dr, etc. before turning into Interstate 22 just past the Holmes Rd & Lamar Ave interchange. Interstate 22 will then intersect with the outer loop Interstate 269 (now under construction).

City, county receive $1.2M in federal transportation grants
Memphis Business Journal

According to Dorchelle Spence, director of communications at Riverfront Development Corp., the taxis — small shuttle boats on the water — will run from Beale Street Landing to points along Mud Island, including Mud Island River Park. “The grant allows us to purchase two water taxis, but we may start off with one to see what demand is like,” Spence said. “We do believe the demand is going to warrant two.” An additional possibility, Spence said, is for a docking point at the Pyramid, where Bass Pro Shops is continuing construction. Since the award was just announced, planning for the project has yet to begin.

The second grant, worth $400,000, will be applied to planning and design of reconstruction on U.S. Highway 78 (Interstate 22).

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/03/city-county-receive-12m-in-grants.html

A positive note for education in the Greater Memphis Region and only one of many great things about Oxford, MS. This small city is growing quickly, hosts a great town square and music venues like the Lyric Theatre, Proud Larrys, etc. Also, home of Fat Possum Records and some notable studios used by major artists. This north Mississippi town really has it going on.

Ole Miss rises on Forbe’s ranking of Best Value Colleges
Memphis Business Journal

The University of Mississippi is ranked No. 18 on Forbes’ annual list of the nation’s Best Value Colleges, as part of the magazine’s top American colleges listing.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/03/ole-miss-rises-on-forbes-ranking-of.html

Ole Miss/ MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webOleMissLogo.jpg?v=1

Possibly a new hospital for the northwest end of Tennessee's Technology Corridor.

Medical development may be the target for large parcel seeking rezoning amendments
Memphis Business Journal

A 41.5-acre site in the Kirby Gate South Planned Development, just off Highway 385, could be the site of a large medical development, possibly a hospital.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/03/medical-development-may-be-the-target.html

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webMedicalKirbyGateSo.jpg?v=1

Another announcement of major development in the East Memphis office market. This being just south of the low-rise Forum tower (pictured) & office complex. Previously, Boyle announced plans for a fourth building amongst its' Shady Grove & Marsh Center buildings.

Gill to develop prime property
10-acre East Memphis site now undeveloped
Memphis Business Journal

A property at the border of Germantown and East Memphis could be the site of the market’s next new office building. Real estate development firm Gill Properties bought 10 acres on Poplar just east of Kirby for $2.5 million

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/03/gill-to-develop-prime-property.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webGill_Ray6797Poplar.jpg?v=1

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webGillPropPolarMAP.jpg?v=1

I'd imagine this is at least part of the reason for delays with Peabody Suites. Also, the reported price tag on that project has gone from 55 to $75 million. Not to mention, Belz Enterprises publicly stated they were "letting capital rebuild" after the nearly half-Billion dollar expansion of the Peabody Orlando.

The signature Peabody hotel readies for major renovation
Memphis Daily News

The editors of TripAdvisor, the world’s largest Internet website devoted to travel, think the South’s Grand Hotel is one of the top 10 “quirkiest lodgings in America.” In recent days, they posted to TripAdvisor a list of 10 properties, including The Peabody, which they say offer travelers “outlandish accommodations and extraordinary experiences.” If the TripAdvisor editors liked what they see now at The Peabody, they’re liable to be even more impressed soon. The hotel is a few months away from a major upgrade, one that’s been in the works for the last few years and the design part of which has been a year in the making. A six-month renovation that will touch all 464 guest rooms gets under way around Nov. 1 and will take about six months to complete. The project, for which the hotel is not releasing a price tag except to refer to it as “expensive”.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/aug/7/hotel-makeover/

(Daily News File Photo: Brandon Dill)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14103.jpg?id=14103&maxWidth=250

If you were thinking of buying/ investing property in the Memphis Medical Center's "the Edge" or Victorian Village neighborhoods, I'd hurry up and get to it.

Developers seek to obtain James Lee House for bed and breakfast
Memphis Business Journal

The development group of James Lee House LLC, led by Jose Velazquez, proposes to turn the historic property at 690 Adams Ave. into a small boutique bed-and-breakfast hotel. Velazquez is the former executive director of Latino Memphis. "Getting the James Lee House developed is one piece of a serious plan to revitalize and return the neighborhood to prominence. On the same street, we’re working to get the Mallory-Neely House and Museum back open, a city treasure that’s been closed for years. And, slowly be surely, word is starting to get around about other neighborhood attractions, like the (Mollie) Fontaine Lounge. Victorian Village is on the way. We’ve got the wind at our backs.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/06/developers-seek-to-obtain-james-lee.html

James Lee House/ MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/WebNewsCarJamesLeeHouse.jpg?v=1

Memphis ranked 24th best U.S. city for global trade
Memphis Business Journal

Global Trade Magazine has ranked Memphis as No. 24 on its “Top 50 Cities for Global Trade.” The rankings are based on export volume, with Memphis regional showing $11.1 billion. Those stats, paired with unique qualities determined by the publication’s editors, led to it naming the city as having the “Best Logistics Infrastructure” in the country. Some of the factors which contributed to this is that Memphis has the second busiest inland port in the U.S., the second-busiest air cargo hub in the world and five Class I railroads. The city also has more than 400 trucking companies and more than 140 foreign-owned companies to bolster its export credentials.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/08/memphis-ranked-24th-best-us-city-for.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/webFedExPlanesMemAirport.jpg?v=1

Developers' vision would bring Hotel Chisca back from brink
The Commercial Appeal

Like the Chisca, the former Rhodes-Jennings building at Main and Jefferson was slowly disintegrating and seemingly hopeless from a development standpoint, but popularly demanded renovations made it a jewel of Main Street's ongoing renaissance. It has been turned into apartments and re-christened the B. Lowenstein & Sons building, after its earlier incarnation as a department store. The old Illinois Central train station on South Main, though in better repair, also languished vacant for years before the city led a redevelopment. It houses Amtrak, Memphis Area Transit Authority facilities, retail and apartments. Developers who spearheaded One Commerce Square's redevelopment have a contract to buy the Chisca from the Church of God in Christ for $700,000. They propose to spend $20 million to $24 million turning it into 150 to 195 apartments plus street-level retail. The council vote assured the public part of a public-private partnership, clearing the way for developers to secure $17 million to $21 million in private investment. Developers and project advocates at the Downtown Memphis Commission maintained the project would never be economically viable without public incentives, and that the building would otherwise continue to decay and detract from billions in Downtown revitalization, including the $250 million FedExForum three blocks to the east.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/12/downtown-memphis-hotel-chisca-freezes-history-in/

Photo by Jim Weber
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/08/10/544399_t607.JPG

West Memphis, AR's Southland Park has really come up in the past few years. Although, I heard when the facility first opened, before Tunica Resorts came to be one of the nation's largest gaming districts, that there was traffic backed up on I-40 from its' exit. I expect the West Memphis - Marion area to do considerably well in the coming years as their state house eyes growth in northwest Mississippi. The area has seen some gains in the manufacturing & tranportation sectors, a largely expanded MidSouth Community College system, double digit growth in Marion, infrastructure upgrades (including interstate highways) and newly announced funding for major intermodal/ river port expansion.

Southland Park completes $11 million renovation
Memphis Business Journal

Southland Park Gaming & Racing has completed its $11 million renovation, which added more than 200 gaming machines to the facility. The renovations include the addition of the new Shine Blounge, a bar and lounge that includes video poker machines and broadcasts of live sporting events... The facility was last renovated in 2007, when Delaware North invested $40 million to add 600 gaming machines and other amenities to Southland Park.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/08/southland-park-completings-11-million.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/WebNewsCaroSouthland.jpg?v=1

This premium sample includes a rendering of FedEx Corp.'s new $140 million investment into the Airport office submarket at their beautiful, sprawling CTC campus.

A2H opens Mississippi office to oversee construction of Baptist hospital
Memphis Business Journal

A2H, a Memphis-based architecture and engineering firm, is opening an office in Oxford, Miss., the company’s fifth office in Tennessee and Mississippi. A2H employs 78 people in its Memphis, Hernando, Nashville and Jackson, Tenn. offices. Logan Meeks, one of the company’s principals, says the Oxford office will start out small with three people, but could grow to eight over the next year. The Oxford office will be located in 1,400 square feet in a former law office in the town square. The new office was prompted by work the firm is doing for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. on its ...

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/10/a2h-opens-mississippi-office-to.html

COURTESY A2H
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webA2HfedexflightsimulatorbldgRENDER.jpg?v=1
Artist'€s rendering of FedEx's flight simulation facility, one of two major projects involving Memphis firm A2H

South Main Athletic Club, Cafe Wins $200K Loan
Memphis Daily News

A local development team has received the green light to move forward with its plans to renovate the 26,500-square-foot building at 387 S. Main St. into a mixed-use development that will include an athletic club and café... The total development cost, excluding furniture, fixtures and equipment for the athletic club and café, is approximately $1.7 million.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/aug/16/south-main-athletic-club-cafe-wins-200k-loan/

Methodist University Hospital seeking $33M ER expansion
Memphis Business Journal

The project will make the renovated, two-story emergency department the hospital’s new “front door” facing Eastmoreland on the south side of Union Avenue, according to a release, and will add 93,000 square feet of new space along with 6,200 square feet of renovated space. Plans for the new structure include a helipad on the roof.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/14/methodist-university-hospital-seeking.html

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webTopoLargestEmplMethodist.jpg?v=1

Here's the new under-construction Masjid Ar-Rahman mosque in southeast Memphis. Follow the "Rendering" link to their website and their is a youtube video posted which shows a lot more design & dimension.

Rendering: http://www.masjid-arrahman.org/Default.aspx
http://www.masjid-arrahman.org/Images/Arrahman.jpg

(2) New Holiday Inns set for airport area, Graceland
Memphis Business Journal

Memphis will be the home of at least two new Holiday Inn hotels in the next two years. The first is a conversion of a former Hilton near Memphis International Airport into a 374-room Holiday Inn, possibly opening late this year. There are also plans by the brand’s owner, InterContinental Hotels Group, to build an 85-room Holiday Inn Express near Graceland at the corner of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Hernando Road, which could be open by mid-2014.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/17/new-holiday-inns-set-for-airport-area.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/WebHolidayInn.jpg?v=1

Updated Plans Unveiled for Overton-Broad Connector
Memphis Flyer

The path will begin in Overton Park with a paved trail connecting the existing Old Forest trails to Sam Cooper, but that part of the project is being undertaken by the Overton Park Conservancy. The rest of the project is spearheaded by Livable Memphis.

http://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2012/08/16/plans-unveiled-for-overton-broad-connector

Memphis Flyer
http://www.memphisflyer.com/binary/a665/1345153955-overton-braod-connector-with-green-lane.jpg

Apartments head to Schilling Farms
$48 million investment includes office, retail space
Memphis Business Journal

Boyle Investment Co.’s Schilling Farms development in Collierville is launching three new projects representing a total investment of $48 million that will bring 365 multifamily units, an office headquarters and additional retail space to the 443-acre mixed-use property. The projects fit in with the overall development’s New Urbanism philosophy that encourages a variety of property types and a pedestrian-friendly community.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/17/apartments-head-to-schilling-farms.html

Courtesy Paradigm Marketing
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/WebBoyleCarringtonRendering.jpg?v=1
Rendering of The Carrington, a mixed-use development planned at Schilling Farms

On the heels of the announcement that the Chisca on South Main will finally be redeveloped and spared the wrecking ball comes this. A project so huge it will dwarf the Chisca and completely transform the Crosstown area. Absolutely incredible. :cheers:

'Founding partners' commit to lease most of Memphis' Sears Crosstown Building
The Commercial Appeal

Developers on a mission to revive the long vacant Sears Crosstown Building have commitments from nine prospective tenants called "founding partners" to fill 600,000 square feet of the iconic building with a mix of uses. Chief among those uses is health care, led by the Church Health Center's pledge to move everything it has into the 14-story story tower located at 495 N. Watkins. Four other major Memphis health care firms — Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, ALSAC and The West Clinic — have also committed, executives of the firms told The Commercial Appeal. Those commitments, and several others, mean most of the historic building is spoken for since as much as a one-third of its 1.5 million square feet of total space will be removed during the renovation to create light wells and atriums.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/19/founding-partners-commit-to-lease-most-of-sears/

Photo by CA Archives
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/08/18/993812_t607.JPG

Construction activity is really starting to pickup around Overton Square.

New projects turn Overton Square into an oasis of construction
The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/22/several-new-projects-have-turned-overton-square/

New University of Memphis residence hall approved; will replace Richardson Towers
The Commercial Appeal

The state has awarded a contract for a new $53 million, 754-bed residence hall at the University of Memphis that will replace the 40-year-old Richardson Towers when it opens in 2015. Construction of the five-story dormitory is scheduled to start next summer, on the site of an existing parking lot just south of Richardson Towers, U of M spokesman Curt Guenther said Tuesday. After the new, yet unnamed structure opens, the 10-story Richardson Towers will be torn down, he said. Richardson is the largest dorm on the campus, housing just over 1,000 students.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/21/new-university-of-memphis-residence-hall/?partner=popular

The Med seeks approval to add long-term acute care hospital on its campus
The Commercial Appeal

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis plans to acquire a shell company for $350,000 to gain access to its certificate of need. The move, if successful, will allow The Med to build a long-term acute care hospital on its campus... Getting the certificate to build on the hospital's Medical Center campus is important because there is currently a federal moratorium on new long-term acute care hospitals, which is set to expire at the end of this year, and that The Med could use one, said Dr. Reginald Coopwood, chief executive officer of The Med.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/22/the-med-seeks-approval-to-add-long-term-acute-on/

Legal barriers keep 16-story Horizon at ground level
Memphis Business Journal

The 16-story, 155-unit tower at 717 Riverside Drive is unfinished, a gleaming edifice that watches the Mississippi River flow by. It could remain that way for some time as a protracted legal battle drags on between four banks and various construction firms. In mid-2009, Ridgeland, Miss-based The Bryan Co., doing business locally as Riverside Bluffs LLC, defaulted on a $58.6 million loan from four banks:

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/24/legal-barriers-keep-16-story-horizon.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webHorizonBldg.jpg?v=1

The Orpheum picks The Crump Firm to design new performing arts center
The Commercial Appeal

The planned three-story, 50,000-square-foot building will include a rehearsal hall, commercial kitchen, dressing rooms, classrooms, offices and meeting areas, and a black box theater. The estimated cost of the building is $10.7 million. Of that amount, $4.2 million has been committed to date, Halloran said.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/24/orpheum-picks-crump-firm-design-new-performing-art/

Campbell Clinic in expansion mode
Plans to triple size of surgery center, add employees
Memphis Business Journal

The clinic has filed a $13 million Certificate of Need with the Tennessee Health Services Development Agency to almost triple the space of Campbell Surgery Center, the clinic’s ambulatory surgery center off Brierbrook Road.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/24/campbell-clinic-in-expansion-mode.html

More coverage of the recent announcement concerning the Sears Crosstown building. Also, an aerial pic that really shows the size of this massive building.

Sears Crosstown takes early steps to rebirth
Memphis Business Journal

Crosstown LLC has signed individual memorandums of understanding with nine partners to collectively occupy 600,000 square feet of the long-shuttered Sears Crosstown building. ALSAC, Church Health Center, Crosstown Arts, Gestalt Community Schools, Methodist Healthcare, Memphis Teacher Residency, Rhodes College, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and West Clinic will be part of redeveloping the 1.5 million-square-foot building at North Watkins and North Parkway.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/21/sears-crosstown-takes-early-steps-to.html?page=all

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/SearsMemphisCrosstownAerialJump.jpg?v=1

I was wondering about this building just weeks ago as I saw its' exterior being updated. Great article.

Venson Center Work Kicks Off Heritage Trail
Memphis Daily News

The ambitious $1 billion, 10-year redevelopment project called Triangle Noir during former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton’s administration is now called Heritage Trail. And the first move beyond the demolition of the Cleaborn Homes public housing development is the exterior renovation of the R.Q. Venson Center high rise at Beale Street and Danny Thomas Boulevard.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/aug/28/venson-center-work-kicks-off-heritage-trail/

Other quotes concerning future development from this comprehensive, quality article by Bill Dries:

Beyond that, (Robert) Lipscomb said future plans include an upgrade of nearby Church Park and a walking trail that connects the large group of historical sites in the area around and south of FedExForum. “It’s going to be well lit. It’s going to be a beautiful area. We’re going to redo Church Park. We’re going to redo Clayborn Temple,” Lipscomb said. “We’re going to have a walking trail from the National Civil Rights Museum all the way down here with monuments and points to recognize African-American history.”

As Triangle Noir, the effort had more ambitious goals including two proposals for luxury hotels on the south side of Linden Avenue between Fourth and Danny Thomas. The buildings there have been cleared, but private financing for the projects has been more difficult.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/aug/28/venson-center-work-kicks-off-heritage-trail/
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Also, here's a before pic & after rendering I found at the Pickering Firm's website:

http://www.pickeringfirm.com/news/2012/08/facelift-for-memphis-high-rise/

Pickering Firm
http://www.pickeringfirm.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Venson_before-300x225.jpg http://www.pickeringfirm.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/16-Vensonv08-After2-300x193.jpg

Church near Graceland razed, freeing 6 acres for development
The Commercial Appeal

The property's value should be enhanced in coming years as the city and state carry out a $43 million project to improve Elvis Presley Boulevard, from Shelby Drive to Brooks Road. Plans are to widen the road, put overhead utilities underground, build landscaped medians, improve or add sidewalks, and add bike lanes, all in an effort to make the three-mile section more appealing and boost economic development. Elvis Presley Enterprises also has plans to add attractions, but they've been put on hold because of the weakened economy. About 31,000 cars a day travel by Graceland, which has averaged 600,000 visitors a year.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/28/church-near-graceland-razed-freeing-6-acres-for/

Plans for Memphis Fairgrounds slowly moving forward
Memphis Business Journal

The current cost of the project is estimated to be around $148.4 million, with a portion of the $20 million redevelopment of Overton Square being folded into it. That was done, Lipscomb said, in order to have both projects funded by TDZ funds.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/08/30/plans-for-memphis-fairgrounds-moving.html?page=all

COURTESY O.T. MARSHALL ARCHITECTS P.C.
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webFairgroundsLookingSoutheast.jpg?v=1

Electrolux moves closer to hiring
First product testing expected in September
Memphis Business Journal

Electrolux Home Products Inc. plans to hire nearly 200 people in the next nine months and begin producing test products in its new Memphis facility by December. The initial phase of the company’s $190 million Memphis manufacturing facility is nearing completion, and executives and management employees anticipate being in offices by the end of October, says Jacob Burroughs, director of the Memphis project.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/31/electrolux-moves-closer-to-hiring.html

COURTESY ELECTROLUX NORTH AMERICA
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webElectroluxAerial080712.jpg?v=1

MCR safety facility to be sustainable
Memphis Business Journal

MCR Safety’s new $8 million, 45,000-square-foot corporate headquarters won’t officially be LEED-certified, but it will be a model of sustainability. The building will be located at Schilling Farms in Collierville.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/08/31/mcr-safety-facility-to-be-sustainable.html

COURTESY RENAISSANCE GROUP INC.
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/websttkMCRrender.jpg?v=1

Work Moves Forward on Midtown’s Chiwawa
Memphis Daily News

Plans are moving forward for Chiwawa, a Southern-inspired Mexican restaurant near Overton Square in Midtown that hopes to open this fall. A $347,257 permit was recently filed for Chiwawa’s renovations of the two-story, 3,196-square-foot building at 2059 Madison Ave. The space housed Chicago Pizza Factory in the 1980s and has been vacant since.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/aug/29/work-moves-forward-on-midtowns-chiwawa/

Photo Courtesy of brg3s architects
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14234.jpg?maxWidth=800&maxHeight=600

Victory University students fill Flats at Cotton Council
University leases building
The Commercial Appeal

Last winter, developers announced a $5 million plan to transform the former National Cotton Council office building into upscale apartments and to market them particularly to students at Midtown colleges. But even as hammers flew, the fast-growing Victory University claimed all the building's 40 rooms and 120 beds for its students, leasing them for three years with an option to renew... In just the past year, Victory University has more than doubled its enrollment, from 906 students to 1,970. That beats the previous record high of 1,200 students in 2006 when the institution was called Crichton College, said Kenneth Kinney, Victory's director of marketing... The 60-year-old neoclassical building has just been listed on the National Register of Historic Places... He and Yandell still plan to build another 60 apartment units behind the existing building. "We wanted to catch our breath and let Victory move in and get settled," Glassell said. "We may crank into that the latter part of this year."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/04/victory-university-students-fill-flats-at-cotton/

Photo by Alan Spearman
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/09/03/451315_t607.JPG

South Main district to get boost from Harahan Bridge project
Memphis Daily News

The attention Downtown Memphis’ South Main Historic Arts District and its surrounding areas has received this year has far-reaching implications for future development. Recent high-profile deals the community has seen get the green light include the Chisca Hotel redevelopment, Storefront Improvement Grant Program, branding efforts with North Star Destination Strategies, growth at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis and Memphis Central Station, a flurry of apartment and loft rehabs, and retail activity with a new athletic club and restaurants.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/sep/3/main-connector/

(Daily News File Photos: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14267.jpg?maxWidth=800&maxHeight=600

St. Jude moves forward with tower addition
Memphis Business Journal

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital filed a $92.6 million building permit on Sept. 5 to add to the hospital’s on-site Chili’s Care Center, according to filings from Shelby County Code Enforcement. The filing is part of the hospital’s $190 million, nine-story medical tower project that was announced in May 2011.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/09/07/st-jude-moves-forward-with-tower.html

COURTESY ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webNewsCarStJudePatientCare1.jpg?v=1

Downtown redevelopment surges south with Crescent Bluff
The Commercial Appeal

The extension of Downtown redevelopment has just leapfrogged to the core district's southern edge, skipping over several blighted, overgrown blocks and greasing the way for others to fill in the gap. The $7 million Crescent Bluff Apartments rise like an urban oasis on 3.5 acres at the northeast corner of Crump and Florida, surrounded on three sides by the vacant buildings and weedy lots typical of the inner-city's distressed districts.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/06/downtown-redevelopment-surges-south-with-bluff/

Photo by Nikki Boertman, The Commercial Appeal
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTZ9P-j9rKvVkqc02AX3OnOX3E0u4U_kMVMCC_qSlYvvZv_bxQ5

Germantown targets economic development efforts in 300-acre parcel near 385 corridor
Memphis Business Journal

Class A space is hard enough to come by, especially along the sought-after Poplar and 385 corridors. Thanks to a $51,000 allocation of economic development funding from the Memphis Fast Forward Steering Committee, however, the newly formed Germantown Chamber Economic Development Partnership has an ace in the hole. It’s marketing prime commercial space at the core of its new development initiative.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/09/07/germantown-targets-economic.html

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webForestHillHeightsMAP.jpg?v=1

I've checked the USFL's new website and it says that play is on for spring/ summer 2013. Now, let's get this college football program rebuilt and I'd hope for better recruits as all University Of Memphis sports goes Big East Conference next year.

Liberty Bowl puts best foot forward
Improvements could affect future of annual bowl game
Memphis Business Journal

The 2012 football season marks the beginning of a transition for Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and its tenants. Earlier this year, the stadium received $6.5 million in improvements including lighting upgrades, a new sound system, improved playing surface and a $2.5 million jumbotron.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/09/07/liberty-bowl-puts-best-foot-forward.html

JOE MURPHY | UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webJumbotronLibertyBowl.jpg?v=1 http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webLibertyBowlTigers.jpg?v=1

Memphis competing with Austin for manufacturing facility, 276 jobs
Memphis Business Journal

The City of Austin, Texas, has presented a package of incentives to lure tech company HID Global Corp. to the area, but a newspaper report claims Memphis to also be in the running for the new facility. Irvine, Calif.-based HID would invest $36 million to build a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/09/memphis-competing-with-austin-for.html

Jabil Circuit now much larger employer in Memphis, Caesars public again at No. 4
Memphis Business Journal

Rapid expansion and new contracts with several brands caused Jabil to nearly triple its Memphis employees from 1,000 to 2,790. That makes Jabil a larger local employer than higher-profile companies such as International Paper Co. and AutoZone Inc.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/09/14/jabil-circuit-now-much-larger-employer.html

MBJ | FILE PHOTO
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webe-changesHarrahsTunicaAerial.jpg?v=1
Caesars Entertainment, which changed its name from Harrah’s and went public again, operates three Tunica casinos, including Harrah’s Tunica, shown.-MBJ

A look inside construction of Mitsubishi's Memphis plant
Memphis Business Journal

The numbers behind the construction at the Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. plant are as staggering as the products it will soon be manufacturing: So far, 250,000 hours of contract labor have been expended at the site of the $200 million plant, which will be producing industrial-size transformers that weigh up to 500 tons. About 55 miles of iron piling have been driven into the foundation underneath the 350,000-square-foot facility, according to Ken Badaracco, general manager of Mitsubishi’s Power Transformer Division.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/09/13/a-look-inside-construction-of-mitsubishi.html

COLE EPLEY | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/northMitsubishi.jpg?v=1

Annesdale mansion gets approval from land use board to host events
The Commercial Appeal

Ken Robison bought the historic home, built in 1850, last year. Property transfer records show he paid $550,000. The owner of Robison-Finch Estate Sales and Appraisals, Robison says he has spent more than $500,000 in restoration of the house and expects to spend at least $2 million. Holding events on the seven-acre grounds and smaller events in the house will help to cover some of those costs.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/13/annesdale-snowden-mansion-gets-approval-from-use/

Photo by Brandon Dill
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/09/13/APPCROP_0914_malo_landuse_annesdale_3_t607.jpg

International Paper weighs expansion options
Temple-Inland sparks potential for new structure
Memphis Business Journal

International Paper Co. is poised to expand its towering office presence in Shelby County to handle potential relocation from Austin, Texas, of employees from recent acquisition Temple-Inland Inc. IP already occupies more than 450,000 square feet of class A office space at its International Place headquarters in East Memphis.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/09/14/international-paper-weighs-expansion.html

MBJ | FILE PHOTO
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webInternationalPaper3Towers.jpg?v=1

Feds give initial nod to company's plans to bring wind power to Mid-South
The Commercial Appeal

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted an early but crucial approval needed for a $2 billion proposal to transmit wind power from the Great Plains to Memphis and the Southeast... The project would yield major economic benefits for the area, including hundreds of construction jobs in West Tennessee alone, said Mario Hurtado, executive vice president for Clean Line Energy. Most of the work would occur in Shelby County, where an approximately $250 million station would be built to convert the direct-current wind power for use on the alternating-current of the electrical grid. The 3,500-megawatt capacity of the line represents enough power to serve 1 million homes.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/16/feds-give-initial-nod-to-companys-plans-to-bring/

Hattiloo Theatre designed to play big role in Overton Square
The Commercial Appeal

The theater intends to make a cultural statement with its $2.8 million new home, and on Sunday will preview the message with the release of design renderings. Construction is to start in March, and the new theater on Cooper at Monroe is expected to open in March 2014.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/23/hattiloo-theatre-designed-to-play-big-role-in/

Artwork courtesy of archimania
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRjHi1E0gCv2aHucu6zxHxZyGVVOPDQndTIjM560amIyAgwbfXk

More major federal funding for capital projects at Memphis Int'l Airport. Also, MEM has received service announcements that Southwest Airlines should enter the market by Fall 2013, American Airlines will expand their service and it looks as if JetBlue Airlines maybe bringing service to MEM in the near future.

Airport Wins $32 Million in Federal Funding
Memphis Daily News

As Southwest Airlines executives were in the city last week to talk with local leaders, Memphis International Airport secured $31.8 million in federal grant funding for what is a constant in the life of any major airport – construction.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/sep/25/airport-wins-32m-in-federal-funding/

Kroc Center tours start Saturday for new $31 million facility at Fairgrounds
The Commercial Appeal

Stephen Carpenter, director of operations for the Kroc Center, loves showing off the 104,000-square foot building's environmentally-friendly attributes — the center earned a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate. "On the roof of the building rain water will be collected and sent to underground cisterns that will irrigate the NCAA regulation soccer field," he said. He added: "We also recycled the concrete from the old Memphis City pool that was here to build our indoor pool." Other features available at the center include: NBA-quality basketball courts, a fitness facility, a recording studio with green-screen video booth, classrooms, an art gallery and party rooms. Carpenter said a three-story challenge center will allow groups of people to solve challenges together and see entertainment on the nine performance stages with retractable garage doors.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/29/kroc-center-tours-start-saturday-for-new-31-at/

Photo by Mark Weber
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQNEL4csQrp6Qwq7g3g8PmjOYmC35mB4FduhHNuMRocVO1oe-ubng

New section of Greenway connects Germantown, Memphis
The Commercial Appeal

After a ribbon-cutting near the relatively new Wolf River Bridge, a trail officially opened connecting about 2.6 miles of Wolf River Greenway to 2.5 miles of Germantown Greenway, enabling pedestrian and cyclical travel along the bank of the Wolf River from Walnut Grove Road to Kimbrough Road... Goldsworthy said Germantown is searching for funding that would allow for two more miles of eastern expansion of the 10-foot-wide pathway to the new Wolf River Boulevard Connector between Kimbrough and Farmington that is under construction.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/sep/29/new-section-of-greenway-connects-germantown/

Photo by Brandon Dill
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/09/28/244420_t607.JPG

Recognition for a great Midtown Memphis neighborhood which saw its' 1-day arts & music festival swell to an estimated attendance of 120,000 this year.

APA picks Cooper-Young as one of the nation’s 10 Great Neighborhoods
Memphis Business Journal

The American Planning Association designated Cooper-Young as one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2012 under the organization’s Great Places in America program. The not-for-profit educational organization singled out Cooper-Young for its historic architecture, vibrant business and entertainment district, and active and engaged residents who’ve spent decades redeveloping the neighborhood. Still up and coming, the popular neighborhood is offbeat, artsy, diverse and close to downtown.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/10/apa-picks-cooper-young-as-one-of-the.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/feature/WebTouristAttractCooperYoungFest.jpg?v=1

The Butcher Shop to close in Downtown, making way for new residential development
The Commercial Appeal

Hughes and Day said this day had been coming since the building changed owners in 2007. The developers, identified as Hunter Haynes of Rogers, Ark., and Jerry Sachs of New York City, bought the buildings at 99-105 S. Front for $2.2 million. The tenants went on a month-to-month lease at that time and knew they'd be gone when the developers came up with plans and financing to redevelop the six-story structure with more than 150,000 square feet of floor space. A chain-link fence and a receptacle for construction debris are positioned outside The Pier's former entrance at 100 Wagner.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/08/after-31-years-the-butcher-shop-to-close-its-on/?partner=popular

Photo by Nikki Boertman, The Commercial Appeal
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqrA49jyx_e1xDKbs7farS8CNVRRoKwi6DXXrUcVylrF0Eg91V

EarthLink enhancing fiber capability in Memphis
Memphis Business Journal

EarthLink Inc. is adding a Memphis to Chicago, long-haul fiber route by the end of 2012. Earthlink (NASDAQ: ELNK) is also planning a metro fiber ring in Memphis in early 2013, Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. Fiber rings are circular groups of optic cables that are designed to transmit data over a short distance in a region at very high speeds. The new route extends Atlanta-based EarthLink’s network reach with up to 10 Gigabit service between the cities and provides additional network diversity and redundancy.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/10/09/earthlink-enhancing-fiber-capability.html

$550,000 grant kick-starts Baptist Pediatric Eye Center
Memphis Business Journal

Instead of traveling as far away as Little Rock or St. Louis for specialty pediatric eye care, Mid-South families seeking such services need look no further than Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. The hospital is home to the newly established Baptist Children’s Eye Centre, an $800,000 endeavor funded largely by a $550,000 grant from the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation. Jorge Calzada, a vitreoretinal surgeon and president at Memphis-based Charles Retina Institute, has been active in getting the program off the ground and said he sees much opportunity to provide services to a largely under-served portion of the population.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/10/12/550000-grant-kick-starts-baptist.html?page=all

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/BaptistWomensHosp34.JPG?v=1

Ten West Tennessee sites get foreign trade zone designation
The Commercial Appeal

They include the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County, the Port of Cates Landing in Lake County, and other industrial parks in Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Lauderdale, Madison, Obion and Tipton counties. These sites can use the designation to reduce the cost and speed the delivery of products to their facility and to customers globally and domestically. Foreign trade zones allow companies in them to delay or reduce duty payments on foreign merchandise and get other savings, according to the Import Administration website.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/15/ten-west-tennessee-sites-get-foreign-trade-zone/

This will bring Nike's LEED-certified "Northridge" facility to nearly 3 million square feet.

Nike to invest $301 million in Memphis, add 250 jobs
Memphis Business Journal

Nike Inc. is seeking a 15-year PILOT to expand its North Memphis operations in a move that would mean 250 new jobs, retaining 1,662 jobs and investing $301 million... The Beaverton, Ore.-based sporting goods manufacturer is looking to expand its Northridge facility by 1.8 million feet. The building at 3100 New Frayser Blvd. is currently 1.1 million square feet... Nike (NYSE: NKE) will also upgrade its 1.3 million-square-foot facility at 5151 Shelby Drive.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/10/15/nike-to-invest-301-million-in.html

MBJ | FILE PHOTO
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webnikeaerial.jpg?v=1

Medical projects highlight construction activity along Union Avenue
Memphis Business Journal

When crowds gathered in November of 2006 to see the 900,000-square-foot Baptist Central Hospital demolished, it was clear the Memphis Medical Center was at the beginning of a long road of reconstruction. In the six years since that demolition, the landscape of the Medical Center has seen significant changes. This year, several large construction projects have begun, exciting medical center advocates and frustrating Union Avenue commuters.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/10/19/medical-projects-highlight.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webe-medUnion&Dudley.jpg?v=1

It's always a breath of fresh air to see coverage of the booming Memphis Medical Center, but this article seems to say that the small phase 3 building (of 6) is somehow the start & finish of the UT-Baptist Research Park which they call the UT-Bioworks... Although, it appears from their website that the plans have been altered from 3 more additional buildings with one being around 18-20 stories to (4) buildings that are 6-8 stories.

Here are some renderings from their site listed as the Memphis Bioworks Innovation Center. I'd imagine that no major moves will be visible with the former Holiday Inn/ future Hyatt brand until more of this development is completed and driving up demand for a hotel next to it. Also, these buildings seem to sit on top of the low profile building currently u\c. Its' roof seems to look like the elevated lawn in between 2 of the buildings with surface level atriums and/ or breeze-ways.

http://www.utbaptistresearchpark.com
http://www.utbaptistresearchpark.com/system/files/imagecache/front_page_ads/BIO-0014-WebRotation-3_03_03.jpg http://www.utbaptistresearchpark.com/system/files/imagecache/front_page_ads/BIO-0014-WebRotation-2_03_03.jpg

Historic Soulsville neighborhood blossoming once again
Memphis Daily News

The arrows and painted portraits of Stax and Hi Records legends on the concrete walls of the underpass are showing some wear. And in a way, they look better as the brighter colors fade and blend with the walls. Soulsville is part of the northern end of South Memphis, where the line that separated black and white began in the Memphis of an earlier time. It’s where the line was enforced. And it is where it crumbled with a profound cultural impact. These days, Soulsville is a set of projects, some across the street from each other with others a block away in a part of South Memphis with a heavy concentration of history, poverty, ambition and creativity spanning generations and fainter racial lines.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/oct/22/soul-map/

(Photos: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14525.jpg?id=14525&maxWidth=490 http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14527.jpg?id=14527&maxWidth=490

Nike confirms Memphis expansions
Memphis Business Journal

A week after it received a 15-year tax abatements for a $301 million expansion, Nike Inc. officially announced its plans for the facility, which is expected to be completed in 2014. In a statement, Nike called the facility a “centralized, multi-product engine for wholesale and retail distribution, supporting Nike’s long-term business growth in North America.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/10/23/nike-confirms-memphis-expansions.html

MBJ | FILE PHOTO
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webNIkeWarehouseEntrance.jpg?v=1

Group buys Hotel Chisca
The Commercial Appeal

The acquisition clears the first hurdle in a $20 million to $24 million redevelopment that's conditionally approved for $3 million in public incentives. Plans call for the eight-story structure to be converted into 150 to 195 apartments and street-level retail including a tribute to its place in Memphis music history... Developers have said the project would cost about $20 million, including $17 million in private investment, if the 99-year-old original building is only redeveloped. Expanding the work to include a 1960s era motor court addition would push the total to $24 million, including $21 million private. The City Council has committed $2 million to blight remediation on the project, and the Downtown Parking Authority would spend another $1 million to buy and renovate a parking garage that serves the site. The public incentives are contingent on various conditions being met, starting with property acquisition.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/29/development-group-buys-hotel-chisca/?partner=popular

Photo by Dave Dannell
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/10/29/APPCROP_1030_MALO_chisca_sale_t607.jpg

The FedEx Forum's fortunes are sealed.

Pera officially becomes Grizzlies owner with closing of $377 million deal
The Commercial Appeal

Pera has recruited a wide range of investors to join his bid, including local businessmen such as AutoZone founder J.R. "Pitt" Hyde, investments manager Staley Cates, financier Duncan Williams, investor Edward Dobbs and cellphone tower developer Billy Orgel. Performer Justin Timberlake, who has Shelby County roots; Memphis native Ashley Manning and her husband Peyton Manning, the NFL and former University of Tennessee quarterback; Tiger basketball legends Penny Hardaway and Elliot Perry; and former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. are also part of Pera's ownership group.

Pera also agreed to a three-pronged proposal of safeguards that essentially binds the team in Memphis for another 15 years.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/29/robert-pera-officially-becomes-grizzlies-owner-clo/?partner=popular

Photo-illustration by John Sale/The Commercial Appeal
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/06/23/24pera_t607.jpeg

International Paper seeks incentives to expand its corporate headquarters in Memphis
The Commercial Appeal

The officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal, said the paper giant is seeking a 30-year property tax break on a new building it would construct in Memphis. In addition to retaining the more than 2,000 jobs in Memphis the project would bring another 100 high-paying jobs to the city. The company recently acquired Temple-Inland, a competitor based in Austin, Texas, and is working to merge the corporate staff of both companies.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/31/international-paper-seeks-incentives-to-expand/?CID=happeningnow

Photo by A. J. Wolfe
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/10/31/iphq_t607.jpg

Memphis trolleys lead nation in light-rail passenger growth
The Commercial Appeal

In all, passenger levels on the trolley system rose 23.1 percent during fiscal 2012, which ended June 30, going from 1.09 million in 2011 to 1.34 million. That annual total was by far the largest in the 19-year history of the trolley system, exceeding the previous record of 1.15 million set in 2010.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/04/memphis-trolleys-lead-nation-in-light-rail/

State Leaders Address Lamar Congestion
Memphis Daily News

Creating interchanges along the city’s major freight corridor to replace intersections will probably end up being a $1 billion project for the state, Schroer said. And half of that estimate is in right-of-way acquisition.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/nov/2/state-leaders-address-lamar-congestion/

(Daily News File Photo: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14598.jpg?id=14598&maxWidth=250

Memphis among the U.S. city centers making comeback
Memphis Daily News

And after previous decades of decline, the residential population in Downtown Memphis increased as well, growing by 7 percent to reach approximately 22,000 residents in 2010, according to the latest metrics compiled by the Downtown Memphis Commission.

The area is primed for more growth on the horizon, say commission officials.

“There is much happening in the South Main District – such as the ArtSpace project, the Chisca Hotel redevelopment, three apartment projects, more locally owned businesses – which is pointing to more residential and small-business growth,” said Leslie Gower, vice president of marketing and communications for the Downtown Memphis Commission. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick in apartment rentals and are at about 92 percent occupancy in Downtown rental space, with a growing need for more.”

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/nov/2/downtown-rising/

(Daily News File Photo: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14593.jpg?id=14593&maxWidth=250

Big plans move forward as Overton Park turns 111
Memphis Daily News

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/nov/13/aging-with-grace/

(Photos: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14652.jpg?id=14652&maxWidth=250

UT plans building program for its Memphis campus
The Commercial Appeal

The University of Tennessee board of trustees has approved more than $120 million in major building improvements at UT Health Science Center in Memphis over the next five years but the projects are contingent on state funding.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/12/ut-plans-building-program-for-its-memphis-campus/

New Le Bonheur entrance heralds official completion of campus expansion
Memphis Business Journal

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital today announced the opening of a new public entrance at 848 Adams Ave., signaling the official completion of the hospital’s 255-bed tower. The $340 million project was awarded LEED Silver certification in May, making it just the fifth children’s hospital in the country to be LEED-certified. Millions of dollars in interior renovations have also been completed in the older part of the hospital, which is now used to house medical professionals for research, administration and specialties.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/11/12/new-le-bonheur-entrance-heralds.html

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/848%20Adams%20entrance.jpg?v=1

Completion of Veterans Parkway paves way for industrial development in Millington
The Commercial Appeal

The five-lane, three-mile road — which is scheduled to officially open later this month — connects U.S. 51 and Paul Barret Parkway at Raleigh-Millington Road and opens up long-sought access to 300 acres of land prime for industrial development... Millington and Shelby County officials are excited about the business opportunities the new parkway will bring to the region. For years, industries have been interested in the land, but passed it over due to the lack of access. The new Veterans Parkway splits the coveted area of the business park, which is now immediately surrounded by highways, railways and runways. Officials also plan to connect the parkway with the proposed Interstate 69. The newly split land is part of the West Tennessee Regional Business Center, which is on 1,900 acres of land and includes an airport. Millington inherited the land when the Navy downsized its local installation in the 1990s.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/13/completion-of-veterans-parkway-paves-way-for-in/
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http://www.veteransparkwaymillington.com

http://www.veteransparkwaymillington.com/sitegraphics/veteransparkway-gis.jpg

http://www.veteransparkwaymillington.com

So, IP would like to leave International Place as is with the 3 symmetrical towers and build their new tower on the undeveloped lot just to the east behind the former Cozymels restaurant. The tower would include a skywalk to International Place then another from Int'l Place to the west into restaurants & shopping. Sounds like a very nice project for beautiful East Memphis which already has a couple other rumblings of soon to be proposed/ developed prime class A office space.

Officials: IP seeks 15-year tax breaks, including on airplanes
The Commercial Appeal

The Fortune 500 company is considering having a fourth office tower built next door and just east of its headquarters at 6400 Poplar, County Commissioner Mike Ritz said Tuesday. The site is on vacant land across International Place Drive and behind Backyard Burger and the closed Cozymel's restaurant. An "Available" sign posted there states the property of mid-size trees has 425,000 "buildable" square feet and could accommodate a 150-foot-tall building... IP also would like to build two skywalk connectors, one to the new building on the east side of its headquarters complex and the other crossing Massey to restaurants and a strip shopping center on the west side, Ritz said. The 235,000- to 250,000-square-foot building plus connectors would cost about $100 million.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/13/officials-ip-seeks-15-year-tax-breaks-including/

Baptist plans to move $84.8 million cancer center to Humphreys Center
The Commercial Appeal

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. wants to move its proposed $84.8 million Baptist Center for Cancer Care to the building that houses The Shops of Humphreys Center and wants a $14 million expansion of its emergency department at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. The cancer center was originally planned for two adjacent sites at 1238 and 1280 South Germantown Parkway.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/14/baptist-plans-to-move-848-million-cancer-center/

State approves expansions at Methodist University and The Med
The Commercial Appeal

Methodist University Hospital and the Regional Medical Center at Memphis received state approval Wednesday for multi-million-dollar projects that will bring even more construction activity to the Memphis Medical Center. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare will begin site preparation in March for a $33.5 million expansion of its emergency department at Midtown's Methodist University Hospital... Plans call for 93,000 square feet of new space and 6,200 square feet of renovated space... The expanded emergency department is part of Methodist's master plan for the Midtown campus, which includes a new patient tower in the future, Spiegel said, without divulging further details

The state also approved The Med's request Wednesday for a $30 million project to build on three unfinished floors of the hospital's Turner Tower on Madison and for a $2.4 million expansion of the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center... The Med's Adams Building... is targeted for future demolition and for the site of a replacement hospital facility priced somewhere between $400 million and $450 million.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/14/state-approves-expansions-at-methodist-and-the/

Photo by Courtesy Methodist Le Bonheur
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2012/11/14/955734_t607.JPG

Methodist's Olive Branch hospital halfway done
The Commercial Appeal

Construction costs of the building were projected at $64.6 million in Methodist's 2009 application to build the project, with a total cost of the project ringing in at more than $137 million... A University of Memphis study said the hospital's construction would have a $1.3 billion economic impact on the area.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/20/methodists-olive-branch-hospital-halfway-done/

Photo by Stan Carroll
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRr8CGQrYqonL-irGLbPmT-2lDYC6hnzS1AjGSoOzjBDVtLfLMX

Finally, the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium will be ADA compliant and will retain its' 60,000+ seat status. It has been an incredible year or 2 for the Liberty Bowl and just seems to keep getting better. This will allow even more advancement on the fairgrounds redevelopment project... Did I speak too soon? Last I checked, the Liberty Bowl seating was at 62,000 after renovation & upgrades. This would put it at 60,300. Pretty close, but it doesn't matter if it dips into 59k. The place is restored & sparkling compared to years past.

Settlement Reached for Liberty Bowl ADA Compliance
abc24.com

MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Memphis and the federal government have reached a settlement to make the Liberty Bowl compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The price tag: $12 million... To make the changes around 1,700 seats will be lost, far less than the 10,000 seats originally estimated under the Herenton administration. Also under projection is the cost, originally estimated at $40 million.

http://www.abc24.com/mostpopular/story/Settlement-Reached-for-Liberty-Bowl-ADA-Compliance/M9TE82Fos0udkliNVPjPdQ.cspx

TripAdvisor names Memphis No. 2 ‘destination on the rise’
Memphis Business Journal

Memphis is one of the America’s top 10 “Destinations on the Rise,” according to a ranking by travel website TripAdvisor. The rankings are based on destinations that have received the most positive traveler feedback and interest year-over-year. Memphis was ranked No. 2 on the list behind Austin, Texas.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/11/15/tripadvisor-names-memphis-no-2.html

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/webSunStudioFacade.jpg?v=1

Downtown Memphis seeing more cruise business
By Bill Dries, Memphis Daily News

Work on the landing building is 95 percent complete with an opening of the restaurant as well as the excursion boat merchandise and ticket counter to open in March. The building has already hosted two events of several hundred people each with several more holiday parties booked in the space. It was originally hoped the restaurant would open this past July.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/nov/30/river-business/

(Photo: Lance Murphey)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Editorial_Images/14737.jpg?maxWidth=800&maxHeight=600

National Geographic names Memphis one of 20 must-see places
Memphis Business Journal

National Geographic is giving the Bluff City tourism industry some serious love, naming Memphis to its list of 20 must-see places in the new year. Describing the current state of Memphis, National Geographic writes, "there's something newly electric in the air." The city is included on the eclectic list with international destinations like Kyoto, Japan and Jarash, Jordan as well as stops in Chile, Norway and Grenada. Other domestic locations listed are the Hudson Valley in New York, St. Augustine, Fla. and the Missouri River Banks in Montana.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/11/national-geographic-names-memphis-one.html

Photo: MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/NewsWebCarStaxMarquee.jpg?v=1

Baptist plans to build new rehab facility on Germantown Parkway
The Commercial Appeal

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. will apply this week for state permission to build a 49-bed rehabilitation hospital as part of a $33.1 million project, according to a public notice. The new 59,400-square-foot facility would be built at 1238 and 1280 South Germantown Parkway, close to the street's intersection with Wolf River Boulevard... The two parcels of land slated for the new facility were the original sites of the Baptist Center for Cancer Care. The hospital system announced in a public notice last month that it wants to move the $84.8 million cancer center to the building that now houses The Shops of Humphreys Center and other properties close to it... Baptist also filed for permission last month for a $14.1 million expansion of its emergency department at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. That expansion will focus on pediatric services and bring 37,500 new square feet to the hospital in East Memphis.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/10/baptist-plans-build-replace-rehab-facility-exeter/?CID=happeningnow

Piperton Hills rebrands to lure more industrial users
Memphis Business Journal

William Adair of WCA Land Development and Whitfield Hamilton of Panattoni Development Corp. have renamed the 1,500-acre industrial development Gateway Global Logistics Center. The residential, office and retail parts of the mixed-use project will continue to use the Piperton Hills name... Gateway Global Logistics Center is a joint development between WCA Land Development and Panattoni Development and can eventually accommodate more than 15 million square feet of distribution facilities.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/12/11/piperton-hills-rebrands-to-lure-more.html?page=all

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webPipertonWilliamAdair.jpg?v=1

Next year could be transformative for GTx Inc., Memphis
The Commercial Appeal

The new drug could be worth $750 million to $1 billion in sales, said Dr. Mitchell Steiner, GTx CEO. That would totally transform his homegrown drug company — and perhaps Memphis along with it. The company today employs close to 80 in Memphis, mainly administrators and highly skilled and educated researchers, divided between the corporate headquarters Downtown and laboratory space at Madison and Manassas. If Enobosarm is approved for sale it could bring a host of new marketing, sales and management jobs, all jobs Steiner wants to keep in Memphis.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/dec/10/next-year-could-be-transformative-for-gtx-inc/

Photo by Kyle Kurlick
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=IA.276886847579&pid=1.7&w=219&h=114&c=7&rs=1

Memphis restaurants pepper 'best of' lists in 2012
Memphis Business Journal

Restaurant Iris was named on a list of the 100 best restaurants in the U.S. as one of OpenTable's 2012 Diners' Choice winners... On another ranking, Aldo's Pizza Pies and Double J Smokehouse both were named to Urbanspoon's list of the 50 most popular new restaurants in America in 2012. The establishments, both located in Downtown Memphis, are among the 50 most sought-after restaurants to open this year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/12/memphis-restaurants-pepper-best-of.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/websttkAldosBradTedfordBrookeBrewer.jpg?v=1

Donald Trump's son Eric pledges $20 million to St. Jude
Memphis Business Journal

Eric Trump, son of the legendary real estate mogul Donald Trump, has donated $20 million to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a new surgical and intensive care center wing to the hospital.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/12/donald-trumps-son-eric-pledges-20.html

MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/WebNewsCarStJudeBldg.jpg?v=1

IP will soon build a 10-story office tower, 470-car parking garage & 2 pedestrian bridge/skywalks in East Memphis.

International Paper to build $90 million office tower, bring 101 new jobs to Memphis
Memphis Business Journal

Overall, International Paper plans to invest $361 million, but most of that would not be subject to any tax incentive. International Paper (NYSE: IP) plans to lease and fully occupy the new, 10-story tower, identified as Tower IV in its PILOT application. It also will build a 470-car parking garage and two pedestrian bridges. Construction on the new tower is expected to begin next year and be completed in 2015.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/12/14/international-paper-to-build-90.html?page=all

Pending redevelopment of two 12-story buildings on the same block.

Garage Demolition First Step for Downtown Project
Memphis Daily News

The Downtown parking garage attached to the 147 Jefferson Ave. building is being demolished, the first of many steps the property owner is taking to redevelop its adjacent 12-story masonry office building for a proposed mixed-use facility... Airman’s 147 Jefferson property is to the immediate west of the Tenoke Building at 161 Jefferson, another 12-story building that is pending redevelopment, but as a hotel. It’s owned by Vince Vaghela of the Mississippi-based development company Vibrant Hotel Inc.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/nov/28/demo-first-step-for-downtown-project/

Apartment projects slated for Downtown areas
Memphis Business Journal

Adam Airman, sole proprietor of City Center Services Inc., is planning to redevelop an office building and adjacent parking garage at 147 Jefferson Ave. into a mixed-use project with commercial space and apartments. The project is expected to cost $20 million, which includes $500,000 Airman spent on property acquisition and some demolition prep work.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/2012/12/14/apartment-projects-slated-for-downtown.html

Rendering:COURTESY CITY CENTER SERVICES INC.
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webdowntownSWaerialRENDER.jpg?v=1

Photo:ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphis/print-edition/webdowntown147Jefferson.jpg?v=1

^^ very nice!

Update on the 969 Madison Ave. tower in the Memphis Medical District. Its' redevelopment would really be the cherry on top for the area's rebirth of sorts. No where near the largest investment, but given its' high profile stature of height.

Bioworks Seeks to Restore Hotel
Memphis Daily News

Brandon Wellford, chief financial officer and director of real estate for Memphis Bioworks Foundation, said the vision is to redevelop the 12-story property with hotel space on the top; apartments for Memphis Medical Center students, staff and faculty in the mid-levels; and retail on the ground floor. Restoring the long-vacant structure at 969 Madison Ave. near Pauline Street is expected to cost about $26 million... Talks are also “well under way” with InterContinental Hotel Groups about putting one of their brands on the hotel... Wellford said the soonest date for the project’s financing to be pulled together is June 30, although it could take even longer than that. Once construction kicks off, he anticipates an 18-month timetable to completion. The development group that Memphis Bioworks Foundation is working with has brought on John Pruett Architects, and “they’ve done some preliminary work on the plans,” Wellford said.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/dec/20/bioworks-seeks-to-restore-hotel/

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PREVIOUS RELEASED RENDERING

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/sep/09/memphis-medical-district-hotel-get-complete-faceli/

John Pruett Architects
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2010/09/09/b10hotel_t607.jpeg
Hotel rooms would occupy floors 8-20 after renovation of the former Medical Center Holiday Inn on Madison.

I've been looking for information from everywhere....What is up with the One Beale project? The website is still up, but I can't find any news on it. Is it still being built?

City of Memphis to push for public funding of Sears Crosstown: The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/mar/19/council-committee-mayor-wharton-supports-public-fu/?partner=popular

Photo by Courtesy of Looney Ricks Kiss
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2013/03/19/WEBCROP_0320_malo_Council_Crosstown2_t607.jpg

Courtesy Looney Ricks Kiss
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2013/03/19/164371_t607.JPG

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Construction in Sears Crosstown to start in early 2014:

The Commercial Appeal
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/mar/23/construction-in-sears-crosstown-to-start-in-2014/

Photo by Jim Weber
http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2013/03/23/503213_t607.JPG

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Highwoods to Develop International Paper Tower
Memphis Daily News

http://growth-engine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/4107859.jpg


http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/mar/27/highwoods-to-develop-ip-tower/

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