MEMPHIS | Development News

[kingchef]

zookeeper, how kind of you to respond to my inquiry. as soon as i read the words fedex i remembered that some austrian and french breeders told me that it was one of their primary ways to send animals into the u.s. territory. paris, of course, is a major hub for fedex. i had fooled for 3 weeks w/ a russian breeder, had a beautiful sire almost on its way, and she writes back telling me that she had never sent an animal to the u.s. i was extremely annoyed by both of us. their is a slightly different look in the american-canadaian kitten breeds and the breeding and show stock. i really like their full jaw lines, muzzles, and that very beautiful head shot---beautiful eyes. in her last correspondence, she made no recommendations. when she sent me his portfolio, i noticed the baccarat chandelier, and what appeared to be a nice Caucasian rug, and in the other big shots a beautiful lavar kirman. if this were her place, i guess the price of the sire, first standing and pick of the litter, all the phone calls, writing, down payment, etc. shots, vet requirements from both countries didn't mean that much to her, for she really had nothing in it/ i just find it strange that a top american breeder, usually said to be number 2 authority on the breed in the u.s., would have recommended her in the first place.

again, zookeeper, thanks so much for the information. it is very important to me, and i feel completely relieved over worrying about an 11,000 mile trip.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

Point being?

I said I was going to let this go, but I can go on.

I'm not for sure if you work in the architecture/planning/development field or not, but generally whenever someone creates a site plan they identify the various pieces of property, roads, etc. surrounding a new development. If your theory holds true, why aren't the pieces of property located on the east of Hickory highlighted? The road is; that could only mean that EPE plans to buy the road and leave those houses there, without road access...

I would see your point had EPE not have told me differently. They want the land surrounding Graceland and the new hotel. This has been known by those residents since back in 2007 when the previous owner proposed a $250 million dollar overhaul. So this is not new but it confirmation of what their plans are.

They want the neighborhood land so they can preserve the green space and trees and remove the houses, streets and sidewalks to look as it once did when Elvis bought Graceland. That is what they mean by preserve. Plus it removes any bad influences nearby.

EPE gave Hot Wheels of Memphis a generous buyout of double the market value. No way would anyone living in a slowly dying neighborhood in this day and economy turn down an offer for their home at double the value. And EPE is aware of this.

A writer at the Memphis Journal texted the other day that once the new hotel is completed that another $20-30 million will be spent in the Graceland area on improvements. That could mean new attraction, or it could mean buying up more land as in homes. It will take $20 million or more just to buy up all of those homes both North and South of the mansion. I'm just saying...

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

They want the neighborhood land so they can preserve the green space and trees and remove the houses, streets and sidewalks to look as it once did when Elvis bought Graceland. That is what they mean by preserve. Plus it removes any bad influences nearby.

That actually would be restoration, not preservation.

EPE gave Hot Wheels of Memphis a generous buyout of double the market value. No way would anyone living in a slowly dying neighborhood in this day and economy turn down an offer for their home at double the value. And EPE is aware of this.

You're comparing a used car dealership to multiple property owners who have owned in that neighborhood for 20 or more years?

A writer at the Memphis Journal texted the other day that once the new hotel is completed that another $20-30 million will be spent in the Graceland area on improvements. That could mean new attraction, or it could mean buying up more land as in homes. It will take $20 million or more just to buy up all of those homes both North and South of the mansion. I'm just saying...

How many articles have been in the MF and MBJ talking about a complete redevelopment of the commercial developments across the street from Graceland? Don't forget about the other hotel that was proposed, Holiday Inn or whoever.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

That actually would be restoration, not preservation.



You're comparing a used car dealership to multiple property owners who have owned in that neighborhood for 20 or more years?



How many articles have been in the MF and MBJ talking about a complete redevelopment of the commercial developments across the street from Graceland? Don't forget about the other hotel that was proposed, Holiday Inn or whoever.

Actually you're wrong on the restoration/preservation comment. Preserve means to remain as is or was. The land is what they want, not some mid-class to low class homes.

And FYI, Hot Wheels has been there in business since 1975.

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Actually you're wrong on the restoration/preservation comment. Preserve means to remain as is or was. The land is what they want, not some mid-class to low class homes.

And FYI, Hot Wheels has been there in business since 1975.

This is pointless.

Preserving the land would be to leave it as it is now. It's impossible to preserve something as it was before when it's been changed. Can you preserve a hardtop Mustang if the top has been chopped? No. Whether they keep the houses or not, it's virtually impossible to preserve any land with houses, driveways, streets, sewage lines, gas lines, etc. There would have to be a major disturbance of the land which would include an environmental clean up. To return the land to what it was before all of this was brought in, they would have to restore it to its original context.

Hot Wheels is a car dealership, not multiple landowners.

I'm done. This has gotten so far off track it's almost funny and I'm slightly tempted to start trolling you on this topic.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

This is pointless.

Preserving the land would be to leave it as it is now. It's impossible to preserve something as it was before when it's been changed. Can you preserve a hardtop Mustang if the top has been chopped? No. Whether they keep the houses or not, it's virtually impossible to preserve any land with houses, driveways, streets, sewage lines, gas lines, etc. There would have to be a major disturbance of the land which would include an environmental clean up. To return the land to what it was before all of this was brought in, they would have to restore it to its original context.

Hot Wheels is a car dealership, not multiple landowners.

I'm done. This has gotten so far off track it's almost funny and I'm slightly tempted to start trolling you on this topic.

Be careful what you say. I just might be the one trolling you for being a clueless arrogant tool if/when they start buying up the neighborhood. Bottom line is that I asked them about it, they replied with their plans, I posted it here for all to see, and you refuse to accept it. That's called being in denial.

[DoomJ]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Be careful what you say. I just might be the one trolling you for being a clueless arrogant tool if/when they start buying up the neighborhood. Bottom line is that I asked them about it, they replied with their plans, I posted it here for all to see, and you refuse to accept it. That's called being in denial.

Dude, they totally misunderstood your question and you misunderstood the response they gave. The rendering only concerns their current property, and whatever is in the background doesn't matter. They used a generic backdrop because it is substantially cheaper to do that rather than render the terrain of the immediate neighborhood, houses or not.

Also, if the background were some real vision, where's I-55 to the east, are they going to buy that and tear it down, too? Don't be ridiculous.

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by DoomJ

Dude, they totally misunderstood your question and you misunderstood the response they gave. The rendering only concerns their current property, and whatever is in the background doesn't matter. They used a generic backdrop because it is substantially cheaper to do that rather than render the terrain of the immediate neighborhood, houses or not.

Also, if the background were some real vision, where's I-55 to the east, are they going to buy that and tear it down, too? Don't be ridiculous.

Their new owner said in an interview I saw yesterday that they have 130 acres. Well, Graceland sits on 14 acres. The hotel will sit on 24. Their headquarters sits on 2. There's a total of 75 acres on the west side of EPB that they now own. That's a total of just 115 acres. So where's the other 15? FYI, there's about 10 acres of homes boarding their new hotel property.

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/elvis...Ag.html?elvis=

The background is not Whitehaven as we all know there's no rural land there. But EPE specifically said that is their vision of the future. I don't know why some are having such a hard time seeing this. It was NOT a misunderstanding in any way. And when the houses start coming down then you can both apologize to me.

[kingchef]

this statement about the presentation on a general background was exactly how i took the photo. it is a rendering, which more particularly centers around the inn, not a blackened in background. both you guys write very interesting comments, both of you seem sharp, and i believe you would both tell the community what you understand various projects to be to a certain area, and how it will improve said area. i have to go along w/ ark and his last post. it is getting to be a bit malicious in spirit. i think it would be better to let it go or have a moderator make a call on the subject.

[MIRYDI]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Be careful what you say. I just might be the one trolling you for being a clueless arrogant tool if/when they start buying up the neighborhood. Bottom line is that I asked them about it, they replied with their plans, I posted it here for all to see, and you refuse to accept it. That's called being in denial.

I'm gonna steer clear of the subject at hand, but I will say this...I don't know Arkitekte personally, but I've been reading his posts long enough to know that he's definitely not a "clueless arrogant tool" as you say. Far from it. There's no reason to attack someone and call them names just cause they disagree with your point of view. That's childish. I think an apology is in order.

P.S. Sorry Ark, I know your more than capable of defending yourself, but I just had to say something after reading that.

[arkitekte]

Here's some good news. It's going to be an uphill battle for Orgel to rehab and redevelop the entire brewery (which other than the roof and windows is structurally sound from what I saw when I was last in there), but there's a lot he can do with stages of redevelopment. I'm looking forward to see what plans he has, even if it is just something similar to Brewery Untapped a few days a month.

Tennessee Brewery building now under contract
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/b...-contract.html

Memphis businessman Billy Orgel has put a bid in to buy the Tennessee Brewery building in Downtown Memphis.

According to the Commercial Appeal, Orgel signed a contract to purchase the building in July but what he plans to do with it is still undetermined.

Orgel, president of Memphis-based Tower Ventures which provides cellular towers nationwide, told the CA that he'll began looking at design ideas in September. Orgel said, "It will be something reasonable and scalable on that site Downtown. We're open to any and all ideas."

[arkitekte]

Raymond James renewal boosts Downtown office sector
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news...3/bull-market/

From his office on the 21st floor of the Raymond James tower Downtown, John C. Carson Jr. has a sweeping view of the Mississippi River as it rolls by the Bluff City.

But as time on the financial services firm’s lease on the Downtown skyscraper ticked away there was a period when Carson, president of Raymond James, was not sure how much longer he would work out of the office, which once belonged to Allen B. Morgan, the co-founder of the legendary Memphis-based firm Morgan Keegan & Co.

Carson said Raymond James never entertained the thought of leaving Memphis but did explore a wide range of real estate options.

“There was never any question that Morgan Keegan and then Raymond James would be committed to the city of Memphis,” said Carson, who joined Morgan Keegan in 1994. “Now, being in Memphis and being (at 50 N. Front St.), there was a question about that, and we certainly went through a very serious search process in terms of alternatives.”

Downtown was always at the top of the firm’s list, but the process of merging Raymond James and Morgan Keegan operations, along with Parkway Properties’ own internal dynamics, meant that the deal took longer than many people anticipated it would.

“It took a long time,” Carson said. “Parkway Properties had some decisions to make and we looked through all the alternatives, but with a bias towards Downtown.”

“We considered all our options but what we were not considering was purchasing this building,” Carson said. “Parkway was mostly interested in moving on but we’re simply not a buyer. We’re a financial services firm and our expertise is not in owning or managing real estate, so we were going to be a tenant.

“I certainly think that extended the period we were in limbo because Parkway’s first interest was in simply selling, as they had done with their other buildings. I think they wanted to exhaust that alternative before they engaged seriously with us.”

Then there was the issue of parking. Built in the early 1980s, the Front Street office tower does not have a parking garage and Raymond James associates park their vehicles at spots scattered across Downtown.

“It’s extremely unusual, and people don’t really focus on it, but there’s no city in America nowadays where you could build a 21-story skyscraper with no parking,” Carson said. “Without a provision for parking we were going to have a really difficult time. This was a major stumbling block and one that Parkway could not address.”

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. helped find a solution to the parking problem, offering Raymond James a market-rate deal to lease parking spaces on a sliver of city-owned land near the state visitors center underneath the monorail to Mud Island.

“Mayor Wharton was pivotal in standing with us and getting access to parking,” Carson said.

Reading through this article, first, I'm glad that Raymond James is staying downtown of course; their presence downtown boosts downtown activity, business, and the number of potential downtown residents. However, it kinda worries me about One Beale that the only news of a re proposal for One Beale came during the same stretch of time that Raymond James was looking for new space.

Personally, I feel that a residential tower with a mix of apartments and condos with the bottom floor(s) being retail could be developed now without any office space. Any office space of significant space will need a relocation of some sort to One Beale from someone here in Memphis. With that being said, did I just dream that someone said there would be a One Beale update soon or should we be expecting new renderings and more information within the next month or so?

[Huntsvillenative]

Originally Posted by MIRYDI

I'm gonna steer clear of the subject at hand, but I will say this...I don't know Arkitekte personally, but I've been reading his posts long enough to know that he's definitely not a "clueless arrogant tool" as you say. Far from it. There's no reason to attack someone and call them names just cause they disagree with your point of view. That's childish. I think an apology is in order.

P.S. Sorry Ark, I know your more than capable of defending yourself, but I just had to say something after reading that.

Uh, excuse me but he's the one who threatened to troll me for basically not agreeing with him. Go back and read his last sentence and you will see for yourself.

[MEMFLY]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

Raymond James renewal boosts Downtown office sector
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news...3/bull-market/











Reading through this article, first, I'm glad that Raymond James is staying downtown of course; their presence downtown boosts downtown activity, business, and the number of potential downtown residents. However, it kinda worries me about One Beale that the only news of a re proposal for One Beale came during the same stretch of time that Raymond James was looking for new space.

Personally, I feel that a residential tower with a mix of apartments and condos with the bottom floor(s) being retail could be developed now without any office space. Any office space of significant space will need a relocation of some sort to One Beale from someone here in Memphis. With that being said, did I just dream that someone said there would be a One Beale update soon or should we be expecting new renderings and more information within the next month or so?

I think they could do a single 30 story tower with just residences at this point, and Yes we should be seeing a One Beale announcement very soon (He said late summer).

[Wayward Memphian]

Saw where Southwest was adding additional non stop service to Orlando on a seasonal basis like spring break. I can easily see that growing into another permanent flight. If Southwest is really successful at expanding into international flights I can see them looking at airports to basically mini hub for service to places like Orlando to free up space at Dallas and Houston for more international gates. I know nothing about the industry but that just pops up in my mind as I've read up on them. It may also effect Delta's nonstop to Orlando.

[arkitekte]

Originally Posted by MEMFLY

I think they could do a single 30 story tower with just residences at this point, and Yes we should be seeing a One Beale announcement very soon (He said late summer).

Good to know. I'm looking forward to the new renderings. I could care less on the height as long as it addresses the street, promotes residential and pedestrian life downtown, and further connects South Main to the rest of Downtown.

Originally Posted by Wayward Memphian

Saw where Southwest was adding additional non stop service to Orlando on a seasonal basis like spring break. I can easily see that growing into another permanent flight. If Southwest is really successful at expanding into international flights I can see them looking at airports to basically mini hub for service to places like Orlando to free up space at Dallas and Houston for more international gates. I know nothing about the industry but that just pops up in my mind as I've read up on them. It may also effect Delta's nonstop to Orlando.

If MEM can boost its O&D traffic it could potentially pick up some more flights along the lines of what you're talking about. As far as Delta's non stop to Orlando being affected by Southwest's flight, it will and it won't. Some people hold a grudge against Delta so they'll automatically pick another carrier. There's people like me who have a decent amount of miles on Delta and they don't want to lose their Silver, Gold, or Platinum status so they'll usually fly Delta, although I won't pay more to fly Delta, it just usually works out that they're actually the cheapest from MEM, at least in my experience. Most folks will just buy the cheapest fare, although most people are realizing that Southwest isn't the savior that they thought they would be. They wanna get paid too.

CrankyFlier.com usually has articles every few months that kinda answer your question.

[arkitekte]

You snooze, you lose, Southwest.

From Twitter...

MBJPoe ‏@MBJPoe 50m
BREAKING: Frontier has announced 6 new weekly nonstop flights between Memphis and Dallas. Story coming.

[Wayward Memphian]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

You snooze, you lose, Southwest.

From Twitter...

Thats outstanding news.

Hey, free dish tv via free wifi and two free checked bags per ticket helped sell me on my chosing Southwest out of Memphis. My Brother is the one that flies nearly weekly out of Memphis, points don't really add up for me.

[arkitekte]

^I hear you on that.


Here's the MBJ article on Frontier's new flights to DFW.

Frontier will launch six new weekly flights from Memphis
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/n...ghts-from.html

Frontier Airlines continued its Memphis expansion in the wake of Delta Air Lines Inc. cuts, this week announcing plans for six new weekly flights.
Frontier, which launched Memphis service March 7, will launch the flights between Memphis International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport beginning Oct. 26, according to a release.

The airline is offering one-way fares as low as $39 on its website through Aug. 30, for flights through March 1, 2015, the release said. The flights, part of a growing number in Memphis from Frontier, will run every day except Saturday.
Frontier launched nonstop flights between Denver and Memphis in March and will add nonstop flights to Washington-Dulles in September, the release said. Passenger response has been strong to the Denver flights, with more than 95 percent of available seats filled.

“Competition is the magic ointment for affordable airfare pricing,” Jack Sammons, chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said. “Frontier’s announcement today brings an exciting low-cost option for passengers traveling between Memphis and Dallas.”

[MEMFLY]

Originally Posted by arkitekte

Good to know. I'm looking forward to the new renderings. I could care less on the height as long as it addresses the street, promotes residential and pedestrian life downtown, and further connects South Main to the rest of Downtown.



If MEM can boost its O&D traffic it could potentially pick up some more flights along the lines of what you're talking about. As far as Delta's non stop to Orlando being affected by Southwest's flight, it will and it won't. Some people hold a grudge against Delta so they'll automatically pick another carrier. There's people like me who have a decent amount of miles on Delta and they don't want to lose their Silver, Gold, or Platinum status so they'll usually fly Delta, although I won't pay more to fly Delta, it just usually works out that they're actually the cheapest from MEM, at least in my experience. Most folks will just buy the cheapest fare, although most people are realizing that Southwest isn't the savior that they thought they would be. They wanna get paid too.

CrankyFlier.com usually has articles every few months that kinda answer your question.

According to the AA the OnD out of Memphis has been rapidly increasing since DL dehubbed MEM. As for the extra SW MCO flight, that will most likely stay for the Spring and summer. As for Dallas, Southwest didn't add MEM-DAL when they should have and now they will have to compete with another LCC.