Downtown residential living is booming, old office spaces and warehouse buildings have been converted to modern living spaces with an eclectic, historic feel, and the ongoing construction of condos and apartment buildings are matched only by the single-family homes being built all over the downtown area, even alongside the historic riverfront area of Cotton Row.

A centerpiece of Downtown Memphis entertainment is AutoZone Ballpark, home of the AAA Memphis Redbirds baseball team. In a moment of clear-thinking, the city of Memphis opted to start a minor league baseball team, make it a not-for-profit organization, build a phenomenal inner city ballpark that has rejuvenated a large area of formerly low rent sprawl, and make the citizens of Memphis itself shareholders in the team.

The result is an incredible success, and on game day, Downtown Memphis becomes akin to 1950’s middle America as families with children and lawn chairs and packed lunches stream into the ballpark, looking to enjoy a little sun and wolf down a hot dog or three. The ball-park incorporates the architecture of Memphis in every piece of brick, every wrought iron gate, and every inch of stunning downtown skyline view. Across North America, other cities are using the Memphis model to pattern their own minor league baseball developments, but none can touch the original, much beloved for its modern day conveniences mixed with historic charm.

Another area that has been part of the new Memphis urban revitalization is Beale Street.  In 1841, Beale Street was created as an alternate road that would be parallel to Front Street (then known as Main Street).  Originally, the street housed trade merchant shops, but the area really found its culture when, in the 1860’s, legions of black traveling musicians lined the streets to perform. In 1890, a renovation took place and with the addition of the Grand Opera House (the Orpheum), the street became a mecca for black music, and when Church Park was created by Robert Church, America’s first black millionaire, it attracted soapbox speakers of the caliber of Woodrow Wilson, Booker T. Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

By the 1960s, Beale Street was run down and in need of a rebirth, and that’s exactly what it got when, in the 1980’s, after Beal Street was officially declared the “Home of the Blues”, lawmakers instigated an urban revitalization plan that continues to this day. New shops, clubs, bars and restaurants abound, the Beale Street Musical Festival became an instant hit, tourist attractions are everywhere, and major changes to surrounding areas soon followed.

Today, that forward planning and investment in downtown Memphis is paying off in a huge way, giving many reason to suggest that Memphis could end up taking over from New Orleans as the premier destination for those wanting to hear great American music, have a night on the town, and soak up a little local flavor.

On Front Street, vacant and rundown buildings are being transformed into in-demand living spaces with a touch of ‘old Memphis’ about them. Some of these buildings will include storefront spaces to take advantage of the volumes of new families and singles moving into the area, and what was once property you wouldn’t buy to save your life, is now property that is bringing massive value increases and a huge consumer demand..

Another project that has been ongoing for the last several years is the Uptown project.  The University of Memphis teamed up with the city, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and uptown residents to rebuild a neighborhood that had started declining in the 1960’s due to poverty, crime and lack of maintenance from the city. But just as with Front Street and Beale Street, over the last four to five years, this local neighborhood has started to explode in investment, property value, and demand. Just within the next two months from the time of writing, over 80 new homes are scheduled to be built, with another 140 to start in the summer. 

South End is also the talk of the urban revitalization project circle. The $285 million 30 acre project includes apartments, condos, and town homes as well as office and retail development. Typical residence areas vary. They will range in size from 600 to 3,500 square feet. Prices will also vary from $130 to $300 per square foot. Many South End residential and retail mixed-use projects are currently selling and in the planning and pre-selling stages. When the area development is completed, it is expected to bring the city more than $10 million ach year in new revenue.

Urban revitalization also includes such value added facilities as improved transportation. The Memphis Trolley has been fully restored and maintains the elegance it held during its earlier times of transporting individuals between the years of 1912 and 1940.  Today, the trolleys deliver citizens from the South Main Arts District to the Pinch District and from Downtown to the Medical Center.  The trolleys run along the riverfront, which allows tourists to take them for no other reason than to enjoy the views of the Downtown area and Mississippi.

Urban revitalization is making Downtown Memphis a safer, walkable and enjoyable community for the whole city to experience. Where there once were boarded-up buildings and empty streets, now there is 24 hour live-work-enjoy streetscapes. Come Downtown and experience the new living, shopping and eating choices. Reclaim your Downtown and enjoy the vibrant energy of where historic meets neoteric. We’ll see you there!