Welcome back y’all to another edition of Mane Street Memphis, a bi-weekly roundup of some notable business and economic development news you might’ve missed.
Last week we saw some big announcements on some notable projects including the 100 N. Main building and the Northside High School renovation, but take a look below at some other projects in the works:
Fleming Architects is rebranding
In part of its 45th anniversary, Fleming Architects is celebrating 4⅟₂ decades with a significant shakeup.
The Memphis-based firm is rebranding as FourFront Design. In addition to the name change, FourFront also announced Michael Winter as the fourth partner in the firm’s leadership team.
Winter joins Scott Fleming, Steve Landwehr and Curt Pierce as principals. (Landwehr and Pierce were named partners in 2014.) Winter began his career with the firm in 2006 as an intern before joining full time in 2010. He also serves on the boards for both the Memphis Landmarks Commission and the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board.
“We’re working on projects that will positively change Memphis, and looking to attract the best new talent to Memphis from all over,” FourFront Design president Scott Fleming said in a statement.
Fleming’s father, Robert Fleming, founded the firm in 1978. Scott Fleming purchased the firm in 1994. The firm moved to its current headquarters at 5101 Wheelis Drive in East Memphis in 2014.
“FourFront represents many things to past and present employees and clients, including a nod to being an industry leader for four decades and the firm’s founding four pillars of creativity, vision, collaboration and ingenuity,” Winter said in a statement.
Prior to the rebrand, Fleming Architects has worked on some notable Memphis projects including Thrive at the Park, Madison@McLean, Conwood Flats in the historic Snuff District, along with renovation of the historic James Lee House and designing the 460,000-square-foot Collierville High School Athletic Complex.
City looks for design help on former Southwest Twin Drive-In site
On Aug. 11, the City of Memphis put out a Request-for-Information (RFI) proposal for the former Southwest Twin Drive-In.
The proposal is for design services to help with the planning and design of 17.42-acres at the Southwest Twin site at 4233 S. Third St. in Westwood. The theater opened in 1956 and closed in 2001. The city purchased the property in 2022.
The city is looking to improve the site’s infrastructure and existing pavilion, as well as add several new amenities including a new police precinct, a new library, an automotive repair shop for city-owned vehicles and a community gathering space, according to the RFI proposal.
“This renovation will create an enhanced community gathering space that serves as a destination for locals and visitors alike, as well as completing its surrounding neighborhoods,” the proposal reads.
The new development will be called the Southwest Twin Town Center, according to the proposal. The city will accept bids through Aug. 30.
In June a community cleanup was held at the historic drive-in site.
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RDX Trucking gets PILOT extension
On Aug. 16, the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE) board approved a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) extension for RDX Trucking.
The Memphis-based trucking company was awarded a six-year PILOT in 2020 for construction on its new 11,516-square-foot headquarters. The $8.6 million facility opened in October 2022 and is located at 4504 American Way.
With the extension RDX now has until March 31, 2024, to close on the PILOT incentive. This is the second extension the board approved for the project.
New mixed-use space in Medical District
A new 49-unit apartment building is in the works in the Medical District.
Developer Daniel Szymanek of 757 Court LLC plans to build a 36,504-square-foot mixed-use development at 757 Court Ave. in Downtown’s Medical District. The development is located near Orleans Station on the corner of Court Avenue and Manassas Street.
757 Court LLC bought the 0.37-acre property in February 2022 for $450,000, according to the Shelby County Register of Deeds.
On Aug. 8, a new commercial construction permit was filed by Memphis-based Viktor Hall Construction. According to the permit application filed, the new development will be four stories and cost an estimated $6 million.
In June 2022, the Board of Adjustment approved a variance to reduce the number of parking spaces at the site from 62 to 21. Additionally, the Memphis Medical District Collaborative helped support the development and awarded a $5,000 pre-development grant for the project.
In November 2021, the Center City Revenue Corp., an affiliate board of the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC), approved a 10-year PILOT for the development.
Previous plans for the site included a 1,500-square-foot rooftop deck and 1,800 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.
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Catholic Charities of West TN gets Good Neighbor Grant
On Aug. 16, the Center City Development Corp., an affiliate board of the DMC, awarded a Good Neighbor Grant up to $23,334 for a green space adjacent to the church at 69 N. Cleveland St.
The funding will be used to help improve the community garden and greenspace next door to the church at its Midtown Outreach Center. The greenspace opened in June 2022 and also serves as a distribution site for its mobile food service. The grant funds will help create an MLGW connection to improve lighting in the area, improve pedestrian access and add more planters to the urban garden area of the site.
The total project cost is $24,815.
Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at [email protected], 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter,@neilStrebig.
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