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Old Posted Mar 12, 2010, 12:20 AM
Johnny Ryall Johnny Ryall is offline
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Fairgrounds Work Gets Greenlight From Council
BILL DRIES | The Daily News

Demolition work at The Fairgrounds resumes now that the Memphis City Council has greenlighted the idea of a “great lawn” off East Parkway. Future council votes are still to come on starting $600,000 in design work and then approving the design. All city work at The Fairgrounds on the demolition and clean up of the old Libertyland amusement park, a temporary siltation pond and some asphalt removal was stopped several weeks ago.

Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones questioned whether the changes would mean fewer parking spaces for those attending the September football match up as well as for tailgaters at University of Memphis football games and the New Year’s eve Liberty Bowl classic. Meanwhile, an attorney for Jones’ Summitt Management Corporation (SMC) sent the city a letter Tuesday proposing an amendment to the city’s five year lease with the annual Tennessee State-Jackson State matchup.

The existing agreement pledges that the city will “make every reasonable and good faith effort” to provide a minimum of 5,255 parking spaces from the existing 6,255 parking spaces. “My understanding is that parking has already been reduced by more than 1,000 spaces,” wrote attorney Matthew P. Cavitch. “The city has recently assured SMC not to worry, that by game day the city will actually provide 7,500 spaces. That would be wonderful, but at this moment, there is no reason for SMC to trust such a promise.” Cavitch proposes an amendment in which the city pays Summitt “liquidated damages” of $200,000 a year if there are not at least 7,500 parking spaces.

Council members were aware of the letter as they met for the second time in as many days to discuss whether to move with some renovation of The Fairgrounds. A rejection of the great lawn preliminary work or no vote at all would have meant leaving The Fairgrounds as is indefinitely. The lawn work and building demolition couldn’t have been completed by the time the Sept. 11 Southern Heritage Football classic begins the next football season at the stadium. The general plan approved by the council Tuesday evening on a 10-0 vote allows for the demolition of six Fairgrounds Buildings excluding the Mid-South Coliseum, the Women’s Center near the old Libertyland site, and the Arena Building. The Arena Building is where the Liberty Bowl hosts an annual gathering of 5,000 for the visiting teams and their families and friends each year. The Wharton administration wants to move the gathering to a large tent. But Liberty Bowl organizers and the city are still talking about which will pay the estimated cost of approximately $100,000 for the tent. The Arena Building could be added to the list of buildings to be demolished if an agreement is reached on the cost of the tent.
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