in this issue:
FedEx Forum . . .11 Months and Counting!
New Uses for Historic Hunt Phelan
The Chamber PlansOffice Relocation
Court Square AreaGets Spiffed Up
Signs to Guide the Way
Development Briefs Available PropertySpotlight
Upcoming MeetingSchedule
CCC ContactInformation
The Downtown Developer
is a monthly publication
produced by the
Memphis Center
City Commission
114 North Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
phone 901.575.0540
toll free 888.303.0002
fax 901.575-0541
downtownmemphis.com
All rights reserved.
FedEx Forum . . . 11 Months and Counting!
The Memphis Grizzlies tip-off their last season in the Pyramid this month as the roof gets raised on their new home at the FedEx Forum.
With a workforce of 600 tasked with constructing the arena, officials say the completed facility will be unveiled on schedule in August 2004, and on budget at $250 million. In addition to NBA games, the ultra-modern venue will be host to over 100 planned annual events, including hockey/ice shows, family events, tennis, rodeos, motorsports, concerts, trade shows, and more.
Facilities:
This massive structure will encompass over 805,000 square feet adjacent to Beale Street (Peabody Place Entertainment and Retail Center is 300,000 square feet by comparison). Attached to the arena will be a new 5-floor parking garage with 1,500 parking spaces and covered access to the arena. There are over 5,000 parking spaces in the area available to patrons. The arena will welcome guests through a 35,000 square foot exterior plaza that Andy Dolich, President of Grizzlies' Business Operations, says fulfills a much-needed space for public assembly in
the city. Beyond the plaza will be a 12,500 square foot main entry lobby with a Grizzlies Team Store, a Sports Bar with exterior patio seating, and an NBA practice facility just off the lobby.
Overlooking the entry will be a 350-seat club level restaurant, a fine dining facility just a few feet from the club seats and near the 8,600 square foot club lounge. A 240-seat event level restaurant will offer a more casual dining experience.
Premium seating will include 1,000 courtside seats, 1,600 club seats, 80 club boxes, 27 courtside suites, 32 cub suites and 4 party suites.
In addition, the Rock 'n Soul Museum will move from its present location at the Gibson Guitar facility to the FedEx Forum.
Construction Schedule:
November 2003 - Roof Structure Complete
January 2004 - Substantial Enclosure Complete
February 2004 - Main Event Floor Complete
April 2004 - Enclosure Complete
For information on construction of the FedEx Forum, contact New Memphis PBA at (901) 577-5450.
For information on the operation and management of the FedExForum, contact FedEx Forum Arena Operations at info@fedexforum.com.
Click here to review other Downtown projects in the works.
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New Uses for Historic Hunt Phelan
The historic Hunt Phelan Home located on Beale Street is a restored Federal style house circa 1828 that hosted dignitaries like Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and President Andrew Jackson. The house served as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters following the Battle of Memphis in 1862 and was used as a Civil War hospital. It's also the site of one of the first Freedman's Bureau schools, established to educate newly liberated slaves.
And now this historic landmark will become the centerpiece for a unique mixed-use hotel / residential project. Just 1,000 feet from the future site of the FedEx Forum, the facilities will include a restaurant and bar on the first floor, bed and breakfast suites on the second floor, a separate ballroom with kitchen facilities to seat up to 350 people, a day spa, and commercial space. Eight detached buildings will be constructed around the house to comprise a total of 130 residential condominium units. Condo owners will have the option of placing their units in a hotel pool for any nights that they will not be occupying their unit.
Construction on the condo units is expected to begin in November. Project costs are $5.1 million. The project received a 15-year PILOT from the Center City Revenue Finance Corporation.
For information on this property, contact Bill Day at Hunt Phelan, LLC at (901) 525-8225.
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The Chamber Plans Office Relocation
The Memphis Chamber Foundation has plans to purchase and renovate the former Bank of America building at 200 Madison to move its offices from its current location in the Falls Building. The 36,000 square foot building will serve as office space for The Chamber Foundation, The Memphis Regional Chamber and the economic development office of Memphis Light 
Gas & Water. A fourth tenant will occupy the second floor. The building will also serve as meeting/conference facility focused on new business, business retention, and other economic development activities.
The Chamber plans to spend $4 million in property renovations. Construction is expected to begin in early 2004 with a move-in date in 2005. The project received a 10-year PILOT from the Center City Revenue Finance Corporation.
For more information on available properties in Downtown Memphis, contact Myron Hughes, CCC's VP of Planning & Development, at (901) 575-0580.
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Court Square Area Gets Spiffed Up
The Center City Commission’s Streetscape Master Plan improvements began this week in the Court Square area. Construction will proceed in three phases:
Phase I: Sidewalk reconstruction at buildings along South Court Avenue and concrete pavers installed in the north half of November 6th Street alley between South Court and
Madison.Phase II: Roadway reconstruction on South Court Avenue to correct drainage problems, addition of decorative pavers and trees along the So. Court sidewalk, and sidewalk reconstruction along South Second St. adjacent to Court Square.
Phase III: Installation of pavers in the south half of November 6th Street between South Court and Madison.
Reconstruction of November 6th Street will take place in two phases so that dumpsters serving the adjacent properties can remain in the alley throughout the construction period. South Court Avenue will be partially closed throughout the construction period. No parking will be allowed, and only delivery vehicles will be allowed access.
The contractor has a maximum of 250 days to complete the construction work.
The businesses along South Court Avenue will be open for business during construction, including The Kitchen, Court House Deli, and J.B. Maize Insurance.
For more information on Court Square area streetscape improvements, contact Janet Pfaff, CCC's Sr. VP of Operations at (901) 575-0590.
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Signs to Guide the Way
The Center City Commission, through assistance of board members Rep. Barbara Cooper and Sen. Steve Cohen, recently got legislation passed that requires the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to establish state-wide guidelines for wayfinding systems. A wayfinding system is a signage program that identifies and directs tourists to districts, attractions, and venues.
TDOT will be required to apply for a request to experiment with the program to Federal Highway Administration. Once the Federal Highway Adminstration approves TDOT's guidelines, state and local rules will then be established to govern the program.
The Center City Commission has a wayfinding master plandesigned, and, assuming the guideline approval process is timely, installation of signs will begin in July 2004.
For more information on the Downtown Wayfinding Program, contact Jaske Goff at (901) 575-0582.
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Development Briefs
The Center City Commission, in conjunction with the Memphis BioTech Foundation, is seeking an urban planner to develop a residential plan for the Victorian Village area. The selected candidate will create a new
neighborhood design that will maintain the historic quality of the Victorian Village district. A selection committee will meet on Monday, October 20 to review submitted proposals. Their recommendation will go before the CCC board for final approval on Thursday, October 23. Click here to review the Request for Qualifications.
The Medical Center Rail extension is almost finished. MATA held a ceremonial "last welding" on Wednesday, October 15 to secure the last piece of track on the extension line. Stations and overhead utilities are next to be installed. The extension will be open in mid-March 2004.
The Memphis Landmarks Commission presented a New Construction Award to the Stax Museum of American Soul at 926 E McLemore.
The UrbanArts Commission held an installation ceremony this past month for new public art at the Cannon Center Performing Arts. Some of the art includes an exterior stainless steel canopy designed by renowned artist Vito Acconci (still under construction), a glass and fabric structure suspended from the ceiling in the main lobby that manipulates sunlight, and a hand-crafted metal wall structure on the mezannine level designed to resemble the Mississippi River with embedded poetry. The collection is valued at $1.34 million.
The Riverfront Development Corporation will conduct final judging for the Beale Street Landing Competition on October 29. Finalists will travel to Memphis to make a presentation to the jury which consists of local judges Dianne Dixon, Kristi Jernigan, and Mayor Herenton, along with five other national jurors. The winning team will be announced on the 29th.
"New Main" News:
New Main is the block on Main Street between Union and Gayoso currently under redevelopment.A Request for Development Proposals has been issued for the Family Dollar Building located at 92 - 96 South Main. Click here to view the RFP.
Gayoso Place, a $24 million apartment tower to be built in the "big hole" on the corner of Main and Gayoso, won a 20-year PILOT from the Center City Finance Revenue Corporation. The 20-story, 286-unit tower will be constructed on top of a $16 million public parking garage that will contain over 440 parking spaces.
Demolition continues on the Perez Building to make way for construction of a new 14-unit apartment complex. The demolition is being done by hand to avoid damage to the adjacent building. Two floors have been removed to date. Demolition is expected to be complete in November.
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Available Property Spotlight:
435 South Front
This historic building located on Front Street was the original headquarters for Piggly Wiggly in 1922. The 3-story warehouse with a full basement offers a fantastic opportunity for an apartment or office renovation with river views from the 2nd and 3rd floors. Each floor consists of approximately 18,000 square feet. The structure is solid and has original heart pine columns, beams and floors. The property is located in the South Bluffs Warehouse District, just one block west of the South Main Historic District and up the street from The Blue Monkey, The Corkscrew and Fratelli's Market.
The purchase price is listed at $1,425,000, or $19.79 per square foot.
For information on this property, contact Chris Garland at Garland Company, (901) 527-7779 or go to the website at www.garlandcompany.com
To review other available properties in Downtown Memphis, click here.
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Upcoming Meeting Schedule
Center City Commission Board: Thurs, October 23 at noon
Design Review Board: Wed, November 5 at 5 pm
Center City Revenue Finance Corporation: Tues, November 11 at 9 am
The above meetings will be held at the Center City Commission, 114 North Main Street. For more information, contact Nicole Hernandez at (901) 575-0542.
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Center City Commission Staff
Executive
Jeff Sanford, President
Nicole Hernandez, Assistant to the President
Development
Myron Hughes, VP of Development and Planning
Brad Elmer, Planning & Development Coordinator
Jaske Goff, Development Project Manager
Laura Morgan, Director of Planning & Development
Jerome Rubin, Business Recruitment and Retention Coordinator
Financial
Jim Street, Chief Financial Officer
Marketing
Lee Warren, Senior VP of Marketing
Leslie Gower, Director of Communications and Editor
Dena Owens, Marketing Manager
Sridhar Sunkara, Director of Information Systems
Stephanie Ziemba, Special Events Coordinator
Operations
Janet Pfaff, Senior VP of Operations
Cory Hale, Public Safety Coordinator
Dave Rice, Parking Manager/Environmental Coordinator
Christine Taylor, Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
Gaston Davis, Blue Suede Brigade Manager
Blue Suede Brigadiers:
Derrick Burnett
Eugene Brassell
Fannie Garner
Jarvis Jenkins
Kay Jennings
Bobby Parker
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Email your questions or comments to Leslie Gower, Editor.