MEMPHIS | Development News

[Johnny Ryall]

Rael Development Corp. doubles down on University Of Memphis luxury apartments with possibly more in the pipeline.

California firm planning new University of Memphis apartments
Memphis Biz Journal

A California development firm is planning its second apartment property near the University of Memphis. Newport Beach, Calif.-based Rael Development Corp. is accumulating land and had its initial plans approved for a four-story, 64-unit apartment project on the southeast corner of Southern and Brister... The four-story project will have 264 beds, a center courtyard with pool, a study lounge and computer center, a theater and a fitness room... The second apartment project has not been named yet, but will be a variation of the Gather brand... Rael Development Corp. might not be done in the Memphis market.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/n...nning-new.html

I found this full color rendering of the current building under construction on the MM website. The MBJ article seems to imply that it will look similar as a "variation of the Gather brand".

www.montgomerymartin.com

[VSRJ]

^ Nice find! I was worried what this was going to look like, but I've been pleasantly surprised. I'm sure this new building will look just as modern. Hopefully Rael will start more projects in Memphis (as he hinted at).

[arkitekte]

They're actually planning to clear out a lot of the older rental houses in the area (which no one is upset about), but they are also planning on removing a 100 year old oak tree for additional parking which some are upset about (there's a petition online for that). I personally think they should leave the tree alone (removing it might add 5-7 parking spots if that many). At 100 years old that tree should in theory still be pretty healthy.

[VSRJ]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

They're actually planning to clear out a lot of the older rental houses in the area (which no one is upset about), but they are also planning on removing a 100 year old oak tree for additional parking which some are upset about (there's a petition online for that). I personally think they should leave the tree alone (removing it might add 5-7 parking spots if that many). At 100 years old that tree should in theory still be pretty healthy.

That's exciting! I know the University's master plan has a lot of the surrounding older homes being leveled to make way for new development: http://bf.memphis.edu/cpd/pdf/acquis...v_may_2012.pdf

This is a bit off the wall, but do you guys think downtown will see any highrises in the next 10 years? Since it seems the real estate market is slowly picking back up, I'd love to see One Beale or another highrise add some modern variety to the skyline. Several of you seem to be in the know regarding these things.

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by VSRJ

This is a bit off the wall, but do you guys think downtown will see any highrises in the next 10 years? Since it seems the real estate market is slowly picking back up, I'd love to see One Beale or another highrise add some modern variety to the skyline. Several of you seem to be in the know regarding these things.

I personally think the easiest way for us to see a sizable development downtown would be in the form of a hotel, maybe something in the 10-15 floor range. There's an article a few pages back about a developer from Houston I think who either has or is in the process of buying the lot across Union from Autozone Park where he currently has plans to work on developing a hotel.

What's really hurting us here in Memphis is the fact that there's so many office parks and office space along Poplar and 385 out east.

While I would like to see a residential tower downtown, we have quite a few of two to three story developments underway in South Main, which will bring a lot of new residents to downtown. It might take a while, but with downtown growing at a strong rate and South Main turning into a very lively neighborhood, a tower or two will fill in somewhere.

Before the recession, we had OneBeale, The Vue on Main, and Trinity Tower...while the real estate market was a little better then, I think that any proposal similar to those three with apartments instead of condos would be pretty successful.

[Wayward Memphian]

I first read about this in a thread at memphistigers.org that was about the new dorms replacing Richardson. It's the same folks that are proposing this in Fayetteville

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by Wayward Memphian

I first read about this in a thread at memphistigers.org that was about the new dorms replacing Richardson. It's the same folks that are proposing this in Fayetteville

That wouldn't be out of context at all. Lol. I don't know that it would look any better than this though, that rendering above has too much going on.

[Wayward Memphian]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

That wouldn't be out of context at all. Lol. I don't know that it would look any better than this though, that rendering above has too much going on.

Just show other work by thisgroup. The big trend here in Fayetteville are this 4 and 5 story complexes with self contained parking structures.

[VSRJ]

I can't tell from Google Maps where this is going to go, but nonetheless it looks very nice:

Details emerge on redevelopment of Printer’s Alley

The new owners of Printer’s Alley are planning to build 20 loft-style apartments in the old cotton warehouse building.

Robert Mallory and Vince Smith Jr., operating as Printer’s Alley Lofts, acquired the 24,600-square-foot property, located at 347 S. Front, in August 2012 for $360,000. They are investing $3.1 million in the project, which is scheduled to be completed in September 2014.

Memphis-based Renaissance Group is the project’s architect. The new development will include on-site parking, a landscaped courtyard and 750 square feet of retail.

Printer’s Alley was built in 1920 and is located across the street from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. The building was vacant when the new owners acquired it.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/n...opment-of.html

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by Wayward Memphian

Just show other work by thisgroup. The big trend here in Fayetteville are this 4 and 5 story complexes with self contained parking structures.

I gotcha...sorry for the confusion. Something like that might possible take place down off of Southern and Patterson where the new apartment building is under constructio, especially since the current one is very urban and should have somewhat of an advanced design compared to what's around it.

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by VSRJ

I can't tell from Google Maps where this is going to go, but nonetheless it looks very nice:

Details emerge on redevelopment of Printer’s Alley





http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/n...opment-of.html

Nice find!! I'll see if I can find out some more information on this today or tomorrow.

[VSRJ]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

Nice find!! I'll see if I can find out some more information on this today or tomorrow.

Great! I'm looking at the "347 S. Front" address, but I can't find a building that resembles the one shown in the rendering. I could be looking at it from the wrong angle.

[Johnny Ryall]

Baptist Begins Construction on $14.1 Million Pediatric ER
Memphis Daily News

It is the second phase of a long-term plan to transition pediatric services across campus from Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis to Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women in an effort to provide seamless care at the women’s hospital, where 5,000 babies are delivered each year. The pediatric emergency room will expand to eight emergency room bays, compared with the five emergency room bays currently housed across campus at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis... Baptist’s footprint on and around its campus is growing. In June, Baptist Memorial also began construction on an $84.8 million Cancer Center near the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis campus.

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news...-pediatric-er/

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by VSRJ

Great! I'm looking at the "347 S. Front" address, but I can't find a building that resembles the one shown in the rendering. I could be looking at it from the wrong angle.

Where did you find that rendering? The MBJ might have attached the wrong rendering with that article. Here's what the project should look like (as far as I know).

[Johnny Ryall]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

Where did you find that rendering? The MBJ might have attached the wrong rendering with that article. Here's what the project should look like (as far as I know).

They updated the rendering on the article. Not sure if the previous was completely wrong or just an older concept. It does look like it could be the side of that 3-story building.

[Johnny Ryall]

Sears Crosstown project meets the neighbors
Memphis Biz Journals

Oct. 10, the developer’s rezoning request will be heard by the Land Use Control Board. If the rezoning request is approved, the development group, led by Kemmons Wilson Cos., Bologna Consultants LLC, Carkuff Interiors, LRK Inc., Dialog, Doug Carpenter & Associates, Universal Commercial Real Estate and Grinder Taber & Grinder Inc. will formerly request $15 million from the City Council for the infrastructure. More than $160 million of the funding is reportedly secured.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/b...meets-the.html

[Johnny Ryall]

Huge Sears Crosstown development heads to City Hall
The Commercial Appeal

The colossal Sears Crosstown project now lumbers into City Hall after a public meeting Thursday night on the developers’ request to change the zoning on the 17-acre site to a multiuse planned development.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...heads-to-city/

Photo by Todd Richardson/ Credit: Hood Landscape Design and LRK/Dialog

[arkitekte]

It's good to see Crosstown making strides.

Originally Posted by Johnny Ryall

They updated the rendering on the article. Not sure if the previous was completely wrong or just an older concept. It does look like it could be the side of that 3-story building.

That's what I thought too, but the windows on the side of that building in the rendering don't match any on a building in that area, and technically they wouldn't be able to alter the existing windows of a historic building during the design/redesign of any building in the South Main Historic District.

[DoomJ]

Going back to the latest Rael project announced at Southern and Brister, rode by there last weekend and there was already some prep work being done before the land deal was announced.

With the one already under construction at Southern and Patterson, I noticed for the first time how large the project was from the rear of the property. Should have taken some pictures (oops). Was riding around with a friend who works with the UDistrict neighborhood corp. and he was pointing out some smaller projects on side streets that had been done, and explained how the overlay in the area designated some streets for higher density developments.

Overall, I was pretty impressed.

Also, oppose that McDonalds at Highland/Southern. City Council hears the proposal on October 15th.

[kingchef]

post 1968 photo reminds me a great deal of the relatively new 6 story clinical building in the downtown medical center, there are photos posted by johnny ryall in this thread. they show the building, which is a bit more wide, but, still, very similar in style, materials, etc. i think the 30/30 pitch and the dunbar elements make for an interesting roof line, and i would love to see this carried into a residential building of 20-22 stories. french-normandy would be nice, imo.

70' ft high will give many a thrill. that isn't really that far away from a true midrise building. these flyovers can be rather fun or somewhat terrifying. i always feel as if i am taking off the runway, as i go over the flyover at 40/240. just imagine the 4 stack. it might even become another memphis attraction, as it seems the entire nation has begun to fall in love w/ our lady "M".

ark, check the tdot site for future updates on the widening project. the commissioner's deputy addressed this proposal about 8 or 9 months ago, i think.

i like the blue lights and the sense of what is above that it causes. the red: not so much. generally, i don't care to try and read signs in blue; however, i think is is soothing on the pyramid, as it defines the structure, somewhat. ark, as for the modern ? story building, i would think that the 12 story drawing by archimania would work well in this spot. i really like the sleekness of that design.

as for highrises, the medical center's master plan expects a residential highrise to be built on adams w/in the next 2 or 3 years. also, they say that investors have already located ground for midrise condos, which will be marketed to target staff, who work at the medical center, e.g. researchers, dr.'s, techonologists. apparently, the finishing of the translational building will begin a concerted effort to get staff in to the center, and close to housing, restaurants, and retail services. the towers will also bring more staff, who will want to live w/in walking distance of their work.

it seems that a great deal is going on, and i think many are excited for the city, the county, and the metro in general. go M-town!