JTM1

The city or dmc should immediately buy it because they have the capital to do it. If Gannett had given some locals the opportunity to buy it, dirt would be moving. I think the CA property should be developed into a mixed use similar Crosstown Concourse that includes entertainment, lodging, residential, institutional, curating, and a performing arts center on the campus. I can even imagine a bilingual radio station/music studio located within the development. I wouldn’t add any food, because a food district could be created on Union, and you can link Madison and Monroe to it. I had a look at this property when they set up the makeshift hospital, during the pandemic, and it has the potential to be a premier location. I was at slim and husky’s some time back and there’s been some activity at this location, because I saw workers going in the building.

It's nothing but perception. There are people that live in Memphis that are afraid to go to certain areas of the city, because of perception. I am not one of them, because I am seeing investment happening in those areas that have been overlooked. There are a lot of good things happening in this city.

Paul Young was asked a question, this past week, about the funds that have been allocated for the Liberty Bowl and FedEx Forum. Something he said stood out to me. He said, there is a way to raise the funds that all projects can be completed. He see sports not as just an amenity, but something that will generate revenue for the city. It's might hope that they will revisit the Liberty Bowl proposal and look at it as more than just a sports stadium, but a conference center, and one that is capable of hosting all types of sports activities.

It is just that. Look at how the local media is portraying cruising, something that I participated in when I was a teenager. I even road up to Dyersburg, with some friends, and those country boys do it up there too. The media determine which violent crime is high profile compared to another, because of the coverage they give to it, and what happened to Eliza Fletcher and Tyre Nichols is no different than what occurred in Oklahoma City and Philadelphia last week and Denver last month. Since the Ezekeil Kelly incident there has been a mass shooting in Louisville, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Clarksville, Pine Bluff, several in Texas etc. I could go on, but there is no need. What is the uptick in crime that is occurring downtown in the tourism zones? I was in Nashville, in June, and there was a guy shot and killed at a bar near Music Row and there is some form of altercation in downtown Nashville every night. I worked in criminal justice prior to opening my own business and one of the things that I know about the stats that are often used to measure a city’s crime is that they’re not always accurate, because most cities, especially those that depend on tourism dollars, don’t accurately report the crime. That’s not the case with Memphis. Having said that, Memphis has its issues, but the city is moving in the right direction. There are investments being made in communities that has been starving for investment. The pandemic slowed down some things, but I heard this weekend, the movie studio, planned for Whitehaven, is still a go. Look at Tone. https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/community/westwood-residents-work-together-revitalize-southwest-twin-drive-in-movie-theater-memphis/522-32862cd7-b6a9-4c02-9887-91cdca5be955 https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/57754/1/the-spirit-of-soul-lives-on-a-deep-dive-into-the-memphis-culture-scene There is not one block of downtown Memphis that not experiencing some form of rehab or new development. The same with the Edge, Uptown, Medical district, Broad Ave etc. It’s all over Memphis. Public gather spaces are quite active, because people are coming out to enjoy the city, despite being told, by the media, the city is in chaos.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Greed, a lack of investment, is why the ATP tournament relocated to NYC. They lost their sponsors, after the local ownership sold the tournament, because they were killing interest in the tournament. The same thing happened with the Memphis International Raceway, a lack of investment from the owners, because they didn't care nothing about Memphis.

The mayoral candidates that I have heard, answer questions about the city moving forward, appeared to be more about replacing the Liberty Bowl, not renovating it, because Memphis has a need for more convention space. Help me understand something, there was a shooting in a Nashville library last week, and there is all types of crime in downtown Nashville, why is it that Memphis is seen a lawless place, but Nashville isn't? https://www.newschannel5.com/news/from-cleanliness-to-crowds-nashville-appoints-director-of-nightlife-to-tackle-downtown-issues

The alley that runs between the Sterick and VMC was the drive thru for the bank correct? There's an underground entrance at Hotel Indigo in that alley.

I agree. Hopefully the WNBA considers Memphis as a site city. Honestly, the WNBA teams should be playing in cities that have NBA teams. The next mayor is also going to be overseer of the renovations of FedEx Forum and what becomes of the Liberty Bowl. I don’t like that the Sports and Event Center didn’t include and ice sheet. I think it was shortsighted by city planners, because just like rugby, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and soccer, there is a market for youth hockey. Many kids in Memphis would probably play it, if it was an option for them to choose, but they aren’t given the option. When Leftwich opens it will be a premier tennis facility and I believe it will host all types of tournaments. Now, I would like to see Tennis Memphis start a capital campaign to raise funds to build one or two center courts, because I would like for the ATP and WTA to return to Memphis. Every time I drive by the old racquet club location, I think about what could've been, if there were more proactive people involved. I know why the tournament was relocated to NYC, it was a slap in the face to us tennis fans, and it never should've left Memphis, but the tournament owner was a egoistical jackass. I was at a tennis camp in June and there are some kids here in Memphis that are going to be phenomenal tennis players. I could several of them going pro.

I met a family, at the Asian Night Market, from Indiana that recently moved to Memphis and the husband will be working at Blue Oval City and his wife is a teacher that will be teaching at MSCS. I don't think the people will be a problem, because the jobs will bring them to the area.. This couple has definitely drunk the Memphis water, because they are spell bound by the city. It's events like the Asian Night Market, Veganfest. Women in Memphis Musicfest etc that help to showcase Memphis, as well as gathering spots like the Ravine, Railgarten, Loftin Yard, and the Carolina Watershed and Overton Square. I think we have capable leadership that can guide us through the coming growth.

I think focusing on professional tennis, football, hockey, soccer, pickleball, and rugby would fare better than pursuing a MLB. They pretty much have golf secured, because of the FedEx St Jude Cup, just need an LPGA tournament. Honestly, I believe Memphis host one of the best golf tournaments on the PGA circuit. Definitely, the most energetic and surprising, because these past four days have been unreal. In my opinion, the pursuit of an NHL franchise is more realistic than an MLB, because Memphis is overlapped with the Cardinals and Braves fanbases. I just don’t see the older Brave and Cardinal fans coming out to support an MLB franchise when it doesn’t include these two teams. I could be wrong though. Having said that, I do believe the newness would create a lot of interest at first and interest could go either way as the team become more of a community fixture. The next mayor will be crucial on what sports will look like in Memphis going forward and I have only heard two candidates address bringing more amenities and options to the city.

https://www.tenacityvbc.com/

The Tigers should continue to invest in each athletic department, facilities, and focus on winning, because the school is already nationally recognized. They need to start broadcasting their sports over the Spanish stations and start a yearly regional caravan throughout West TN, Eastern Arkansas, and Northern Mississippi.

Let the head of Memphis Chamber bring you up to date on what is occurring in the Memphis area. https://blog.memphischamber.com/greater-memphis-chamber-presidents-update-6/29/23

Taylor Berger did an excellent job addressing MIM. Honestly, fresh and visionary minds need to replace MIM leadership, because they're stuck in the past. Nostalgia and a lack of vision has kept the festival stagnate when it could be so much more. They need to find a way to bring back the Wonder Series and incorporate into the Memphis and May festival. BBQ-fest is being cheated, because they have been cutting teams, instead of finding a way to accommodate those that are interested in competing. The music-fest need to be reimagined. https://dailymemphian.com/section/opinion/article/37781/memphis-opinion-time-for-beale-street-music-festival-to-evolve

Thank you. That was a detailed and interesting read on Zhong, Kemker’s investor. I am dumfounded that he didn’t take a deeper dive into this guy’s financials. When this development was first announced, I was under the impression that Kemker was partnering with the group that developed the corner on Sam Cooper and E Parkway. I am not sure why I was thinking that. If he doesn’t find any partners to invest, he has definitely made it easier for the buyer of the property to develop it. I personally would like to see a modest change, but it’s going to be interesting to see what comes next, because I am sure one of those cutthroat developers were waiting to pounce on this property.

This is an odd story. “The bankruptcy came as a result of the conviction of the project's financier, James Zhong. In 2012, Zhong unlawfully obtained more than 50,000 Bitcoin from the black market site Silk Road while he was a student at the University of Georgia. Federal investigators sought the missing cryptocurrency for years, and their search eventually took them to Zhong.” There may be hope for this yet if another investing partner can be found or someone that's willing to build upon his vision. "Now, 15 parcels across 5.6 acres of prime land are being put up for sale. Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors has created a website for the property and has listed it on real estate websites such as LoopNet and Crexi." "The sale may be the end of the Central Yards project in its proposed form. Kemker is trying to find partners and new investors to potentially buy up the project, but given the development environment and the project's history, he is facing challenges. He still believes in the project and hopes whomever buys the land will see his vision through." "Everything that I talked about when we brought this project to light — about improving the community and being proud of building something in Memphis — is still 100% true," Kemker told MBJ. "It still means a lot to me. And that's why if I can find a way to get into an investment group, I'd love to do that and still see some semblance of that promise and that vision come to light." If another developer step in, there are a few changes that I would like to see made and some things added.

How many floors is this supposed to be?

I love this design, because it's not just a box look.

They have plays and musicals, but the Cannon Center wasn't designed for continuous theatrical plays and musicals like what the Orpheum does. The Orpheum has concerts and other shows to fill in the gap when they're not running a theatrical performance.

The Cannon Center is on the same branch as the Orpheum, but it has a different use and function.

This is good to hear about the MSC. I was reading earlier the Southern Heritage Classic has released the list of its musical performers and instead of hosting the events at the Landers Center they could be held in the MSC. I really don't understand why the city leaders didn't see the coliseum as an asset rather than a liability. I have driven by this property, because it's near Ghost River. There is a lot that can be done with 15 acres and I can see a soccer district coming up around the stadium. Thank you for sharing.

I don't know what they were thinking, because this is shameful. So much has gone to the landfills in the name of progress and they left downtown with a glut of parking lots and open space. Thank goodness level heads intervened. This is why saving the Coliseum is important, because of its potential and usefulness. They can build the soccer stadium in another area of downtown and create another entertainment district around it. I have some in-laws that are Orpheum season ticket holders and they would love to see another professional theater open downtown, because they feel Memphis is missing out on other good shows.

I have yet to fly Breeze, but my brother-in-law has nothing but good things to say about the service they provide.

This is good to hear, because the aquarium is showing it's age. Do you know what will become of the present location? I still believe they need to relocate the welcome center.