Moving right along with the new turf. I can't wait to see it completely installed and painted along with the other upgrades to the Liberty Bowl.

http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/...12E4AFF2C1.jpg

From Interstate 240 going east on Lamar Ave, they plan on knocking down some of the blown-out retail frontage, widen the entire street with more lanes, including multiple turning lanes feeding the side streets at lights and probably blocking off some non-vital side streets to streamline traffic all the way to where the interchanges start. That's what you'll see in the near future, but if the feds see enough interest they might christen it "Future" Interstate 22 all the way to a I-22 terminus/ interchange at I-240. I'd bet you won't see that for some time longer, but the current plan will suffice for easing congestion and even allowing more growth of industry.

Possibly a new hospital for the northwest end of Tennessee's Technology Corridor.

Medical development may be the target for large parcel seeking rezoning amendments
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/p...he-target.html

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphi...GateSo.jpg?v=1

Another announcement of major development in the East Memphis office market. This being just south of the low-rise Forum tower (pictured) & office complex. Previously, Boyle announced plans for a fourth building amongst its' Shady Grove & Marsh Center buildings.

Gill to develop prime property
10-acre East Memphis site now undeveloped
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/p...-property.html

ALAN HOWELL | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphi...Poplar.jpg?v=1

LEE SWETS | MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphi...larMAP.jpg?v=1

^I guess that will be decent infill, but I can't help but wish that some of these office parks were developed closer to the core. I suppose with the land being cheaper out east, and the majority of future employees in these offices living out east, its the smartest thing to do. At least this is in Memphis and not in Germantown or some other suburb. I just want some type of new development downtown. What ever happened to the Hilton down south of the Forum? Any news on that lately?

No. Royal Phoenix's financing seemed fragile, they missed a major tax break and never really recovered. Unless they're doing so without mention in the media.

I did happen to notice much more interior lights on inside the Horizon luxury apt/ condo tower on the South Bluffs. Although, I witnessed a false start a year or 2 back when lift crews finished paint & trim work on the back (east) side of the building.

supposedly, it is still a go. however, you can read one article about the project welcoming other hotels on the opposite corner, and read another article concerning phoenix continuing to pull together private funding. i don't understand this huge amount of stimulus and some additional funding initially approved by the council, but the hotel group couldn't get its required paper work submitted before the end of the year (two years ago). reportedly, they received a one year extension, along w/ the pinch project. nothing happened. suddenly a declaration that the project was to be moved to the north end of town, which was odd, as this project was part of the herenton-miniority project for the south main district, known as the noir project. to me, i thought the north end would be a good idea because of the increased pyramid and retail business and hopefully an eventual pull of conventioneers.

it seems as if backers can't build the project w/ less than half of their money in the project, then perhaps they should let someone else have it. i am all for helping minority businesses, but they should be vetted just as everyone else. either...or get off the pot. the community, tourist, and employees have been waiting about 2 2 1/2 years since the announcement. many of these proposed deals take so long getting them finished one would have to be a cat, in order to have enough lives to see it finished. this isn't just this project either, there is a bold pattern of this kind of secrecy and lagging behind in getting both municipal, county, public federal, and other projects completed in this community. much of it has to do w/ a lack of leadership, both in our area and in nashville.

I've been wondering what the deal is with that. Obviously there will never be a second tower, but does the developer have the money to actually finish the interior and rent out units?

That entire project is horrible. Yes, it adds some height and in theory would have been an awesome place to live, but that color scheme is rough. You can do better than that when on a tight budget. Too bad the economy tanked right as they got going.

ark, i would be interested in knowing why you think the entire project is horrid? i don't think it looks bad, except for that "best buy-shaped building" placed right in front of the main building. that makes no sense, and practically ruins any decent attempt to obtain symmetry. as the eyes goes up, the building looks much better.

the paint colors must have been purchased when one of the k-mart stores went out of business. fire the decorator, call us, and let us do the rest of the work for the money left. paint is the least expensive product w/ which you can improve the looks of a thing.

finally, it is a shame that so much land was used up so far out east for corporate, industrial, and manfacturing purposes. i noticed the IRS buildings had zip codes of their own. as for the hospital on 385, i really don't understand how a con could be awarded, as their is collierville, germantown, basptist centeral, and st. francis w/in an 8 mile radius, approximately. i think that is correct, if i did the math correctly. how will this hospital placement fall into place w/ the planning to avoid a hodge podge of growth?

i wish these developers would come into the core, and begin building large gated communities. some w/ zero lot lines, 1/2 acre lots, and some w/ acre lots. as for the horizon, i think it would be short sighted for memphis developers and developers who are trying to build in metro memphis and downtown to fail in moving to a good deal more of rental property, as the market is headed that way, both eastern and western coastal markets and florida and texas. if development prospects actually materialize w/in the next three months, memphis would need to have a huge amount of housing downtown and in midtown. i would love to see that huge mess of a warehouse on the rise in south main district torn down and a nice scraper placed in its stead. it would look nice at about 35 stories.

Chef, I think we pretty much agree on the Horizon. I guess what I should have said is the outcome of that project is horrible.

The Horizon had the potential to bring more residents downtown, give us another tower on the river, and possibly could have spurred more development downtown. The negatives are what you mentioned (design and choice of color), and then the fact that the economy tanked right during the construction of it, which is a shame.

Also, which South Main warehouse are you talking about?

But yeah, all of these developers going out east to the sticks Collierville and Germantown get on my nerves.

The developer from Mississippi went bankrupt in the bust. Capital One bank now owns the property and has done minor things with it so far. They also put it on the market for, I believe, $17 million.

At least its' exterior was finished despite its' plot looking crappy at street level. There are some steel & concrete skeletons out there in other cities, unfinished without prospect.

DeSoto school board approves performing arts building
The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...D=happeningnow

Memphis ranked 24th best U.S. city for global trade
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/b...-city-for.html

I'd imagine this is at least part of the reason for delays with Peabody Suites. Also, the reported price tag on that project has gone from 55 to $75 million. Not to mention, Belz Enterprises publicly stated they were "letting capital rebuild" after the nearly half-Billion dollar expansion of the Peabody Orlando.

The signature Peabody hotel readies for major renovation
Memphis Daily News

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news...otel-makeover/

(Daily News File Photo: Brandon Dill)
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/Edit...3&maxWidth=250

Developers seek to obtain James Lee House for bed and breakfast
Memphis Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/n...james-lee.html

James Lee House/ MBJ
http://assets.bizjournals.com/memphi...eHouse.jpg?v=1

^Finally an article on that! I've been hearing about this bed and breakfast and mentioned it in the thread that I covered the house in, but I hadn't heard anything since I last visited and talked with the managers of Victorian Village. All I can say is that they have their work cut out for them, but the house is in fairly decent shape compared to some other places around town that have just been left to sit and rot.

Other than losing money on the front end to complete construction, wouldn't it be worth their while to convert those condo units into rental units seeing that the market for rental units is booming right now? Either that's the plan, the tower is too far "gone" for anyone to want to mess with, or they don't see any true value in it since they can't sell it.

Chef, is this what you were talking about? It was proposed to be on Front, but it fell through, then was re-proposed to be 3 or 4 floors where Archimania would have their office, but that fell through too, around 08 I think when the economy tanked. Archimania still owns the lot, and I think there's paid parking on it now.
http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/...m20-173740.jpg
http://www.architectmagazine.com/loc...phis-tenn.aspx

Here is the second proposal that was to be their office.
http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/...756971-280.jpg
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/s....html?page=all

You can tell how old that rendering is by looking at One Commerce Square in the background and seeing SunTrust at the top.

Almost all of the main field is down now. That didn't take long at all.
http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/...2E4AFF2C-1.jpg

Word is the Horizon was a clean slate inside, with owners/ developers being able to choose, according to market demand, the configuration of units and how many were to be luxury apts. vs. condos.

That's a good thing. Hopefully in the near future it will be finished and occupied.