Melissa Wolowicz is up with the chickens every morning, working to make Memphis a better place.

The new vice president of development for BRIDGES has been raising chickens in her backyard since she, husband Shawn and son Grayson moved into Midtown and a house shaded by a canopy of trees.

2. City Council Approves Amended Property Registry - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. won a partial victory in his emphasis on fighting blight with final Memphis City Council approval Tuesday, April 2, of a property registration ordinance.

But the council amended out a provision in the ordinance that would have required the registration of all property. What is left is a registry of vacant and abandoned property where property taxes are delinquent and code enforcement finds violations.

3. CBU Names Sumner-Winter Director of Stewardship - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Wendy Sumner-Winter has been appointed director of stewardship and donor engagement at Christian Brothers University. In the newly created position, Sumner-Winter will oversee planning, strategy development and implementation of initiatives to increase communication and connections with the CBU community, including donors, alumni and friends.

4. City Council to Vote on Property Registration Ordinance - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Memphis City Council members take up third and final reading Tuesday, April 2, of an ordinance that requires registration and a fee for owners of property within the city.

The council meets at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St.

5. Crosstown Leaders Discuss Ambitious Project - Saturday, March 30, 2013

Leaders of the Crosstown Development Project talked this month with The Memphis News editorial board about their plans for the adaptive reuse of the 1.5 million-square-foot, circa-1927 Sears Crosstown building.

6. United Housing Launches Home Matters Movement - Saturday, March 23, 2013

United Housing has helped launch a new national movement called Home Matters, aiming to build public support for the role that a home plays in thriving lives, families and a stronger economy.

Home Matters is spearheaded by National NeighborWorks Association – of which Memphis-based United Housing is a member – along with a coalition of housing and community development organizations and nonprofits.

7. United Housing Launches Home Matters Movement - Wednesday, March 20, 2013

United Housing has helped launch a new national movement called Home Matters, aiming to build public support for the role that a home plays in thriving lives, families and a stronger economy.

Home Matters is spearheaded by National NeighborWorks Association – of which Memphis-based United Housing is a member – along with a coalition of housing and community development organizations and nonprofits.

8. Council Explores Labor Rule Rewrite - Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Memphis City Council members get their first look Tuesday, March 19, at a proposal to repeal the much amended impasse ordinance in place since the 1978 fire and police strikes.

At an 8:30 a.m. committee session, council members will discuss a proposal to replace the procedure for resolving impasses in contract talks between the city and municipal labor unions.

9. Holtzclaw on Front Line of Myriad Real Estate Projects - Monday, March 18, 2013

Anna Holtzclaw’s footprint is on property all over Memphis.

Since 2001, the real estate marketing entrepreneur has worked to promote properties developed and designed by the likes of the Henry Turley Co., LRK Inc. and Loeb Properties Inc.

10. Launching Pad - Saturday, March 16, 2013

Eric Mathews sounded a little emotional in early February as he described what was about to happen to the organization he leads that’s at the vanguard of spurring entrepreneurship and startup activity in Memphis.

11. Masson Named Senior Director at Caissa - Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Rick Masson has joined Caissa Public Strategy as senior director. Masson, former chief administrative office for the city of Memphis, was also recently named special master to oversee the city-county schools merger. (For details, see the Monday, March 11, edition of The Daily News.) In his new role at Caissa, Masson will provide consultation and leadership on business development and project management.

12. Southern Growth Studio Helps Companies Think Differently - Monday, March 11, 2013

Memphis-based Southern Growth Studio is getting ready to bring some of the spirit of innovation, sunny optimism and can-do attitude to Memphis that its principals found on a recent trip to Las Vegas.

13. Events - Saturday, March 09, 2013

The Brew Movement Against Multiple Sclerosis will hold the fourth annual Beauty in the Eye of the Beer Holder fundraiser for the Mid South Chapter of the National MS Society Thursday, March 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Ave. Attendees can sample unique homebrews created for the event, craft beers and microbrews. Tickets are $30. Visit msbrewmovement.org.

14. Tax Zone Would Benefit Fairgrounds - Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Tourism Development Zone that Memphis officials will seek in Nashville over the next three months would generate tax revenue from Cooper-Young, the Midtown Union Avenue corridor and Overton Square for the redevelopment of the Mid-South Fairgrounds.

15. Filling the Voids - Saturday, February 02, 2013

Last year was a banner year for adaptive reuse projects in Midtown and Downtown.

Developers announced plans for the Sears Crosstown building, Overton Square, Hotel Chisca, James Lee House and old United Warehouse in the South Main Historic Arts District. Construction began on The Pyramid, turning it into a 220,000-square-foot mega-Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, and Memphis in May moved into its new headquarters at 56 S. Front St., a 14,600-square-foot building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

16. Creative Space - Thursday, January 31, 2013

By the time Crosstown Arts occupies space in the 1.5 million-square-foot Sears Crosstown building, it will have completed a solid test run of promoting arts-based community and economic development in Midtown.

17. Final Bell - Saturday, January 19, 2013

From the moment he became Memphis City Schools superintendent, Kriner Cash had competition.

“I’ve been fighting since I got here,” he said in the early stages of what winds up as a five-year tenure that officially comes to an end July 31.

18. Memphis Primary Care Aligns With Baptist Group - Wednesday, January 02, 2013

The trend of consolidation in the local health care industry marches on as Memphis Primary Care becomes the latest private physician practice to align with a major hospital system, joining Baptist Medical Group.

19. Greenline to Keep Growing in 2013 - Thursday, December 27, 2012

In the coming year, the Shelby Farms Greenline could move a bit farther west from Tillman Street, where it now ends, to the Poplar Avenue viaduct with a goal of linking up with the Broad Avenue Arts District.

20. Midtown Momentum - Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Midtown real estate market has long been an anomaly compared to its Bluff City counterparts, with fundamentals as diverse as its demographics.

“The types of real estate that you’ll find in Midtown can be some of the most expensive or some of the most modest when it comes to prices and facility,” said Gary Myers of Gary Myers Co. “Retail in particular.”

21. New Brewery on Tap for Cooper-Young - Friday, December 21, 2012

A new brewery is headed to Cooper-Young. 

Memphis native and craft beer enthusiast Drew Barton plans to open Memphis Made Brewing Co. LLC at 768 S. Cooper St. near York Avenue along with two other silent partners by mid 2013. The 6,000-square-foot space is adjacent to Signworks and owned by Richard Sullivan.

22. New Brewery on Tap for Cooper-Young - Thursday, December 20, 2012

A new brewery is headed to Cooper-Young.

Memphis native and craft beer enthusiast Drew Barton plans to open Memphis Made Brewing Co. LLC at 768 S. Cooper St. near York Avenue along with two other silent partners by mid-2013. The 6,000-square-foot space is adjacent to Signworks and owned by Richard Sullivan.

23. Bioworks Seeks to Restore Hotel - Thursday, December 20, 2012

Memphis Bioworks Foundation is working to renovate the old Holiday Inn building in Memphis Medical Center into a mixed-use facility.

Brandon Wellford, chief financial officer and director of real estate for Memphis Bioworks Foundation, said the vision is to redevelop the 12-story property with hotel space on the top; apartments for Memphis Medical Center students, staff and faculty in the mid-levels; and retail on the ground floor.

24. Wimbish’s Goal: People Stopping in West Memphis - Monday, December 17, 2012

It’s hard to make an impression on a stream of speeding cars and trucks, but Ward Wimbish, the man responsible for growing West Memphis’ economic development, hopes to divert drive-thru traffic into town.

25. Renewed Focus - Friday, December 07, 2012

Reginald Milton calls it the “dirty little secret” of nonprofits whose mission is to provide social services.

26. Rheumatology Clinic Buys Germantown Office Building - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

7660 Poplar Pike Germantown, TN 38138

Sale Amount: $986,850

Sale Date: Nov. 14, 2012

27. Events - Friday, November 16, 2012

LaunchMemphis, Launch Your City and Launch Tennessee will host StartUp Field Day as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week Friday, Nov. 16, from 9 a.m. to midnight at EmergeMemphis, 516 Tennessee St., suite 125. The day will include an “Amazing Race” showcasing three startups in various stages of development. Visit launchmemphis.com.

28. Seminar Underscores Commercial Sectors’ Highs, Lows - Monday, November 05, 2012

Memphis’ commercial real estate market for the most part appears to mirror national trends, with all four sectors boasting challenges and bright spots so far this year.

That was a message a room full of real estate professionals received when The Daily News hosted its second annual Commercial Real Estate seminar Thursday, Nov.1, at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, sponsored by Magna Bank and Evans Petree PC.

29. Rekindling Crosstown - Monday, November 05, 2012

Video artist Chris Miner says one way to explain the redevelopment of the Sears Crosstown building is likening it to the process of creating art.

“You get into it with a general idea of what you want to do, but then you kind of let it take you wherever you are going to go or wherever the piece wants to go,” he said.

30. Palmer Joins Cannon Wright Blount As Director of Assurance - Wednesday, October 24, 2012

David Palmer has joined Cannon Wright Blount certified public accounting firm as director of assurance and accounting services. Palmer’s specialties include audit and profit-sharing plans in the nonprofit, health care, government and construction industries.

31. LGSTX Services Expands Local Warehouse - Friday, October 19, 2012

LGSTX Services Inc. is relocating and expanding its Memphis warehouse operations. The Wilmington, Ohio-based firm, which specializes in aviation support and facility services, has leased 184,680 square feet across two facilities in the Southwide Distribution area at 363 Burma Road and 410 Burma Road.

32. Crosstown Stakeholder Pleased With Development’s Direction - Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Todd Richardson gave some schemes – albeit changing ones – of the redeveloped Sears Crosstown building in Midtown Friday, Oct. 5, at Universal Commercial Real Estate’s Regional Minority Business Entrepreneur Power Breakfast.

33. Daunting Vision - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

To say the team behind the redevelopment of the nearly 20-year-vacant Sears, Roebuck & Co. Retail and Catalog distribution facility in Midtown’s Crosstown neighborhood has their work cut out for them would be an understatement at best.

34. Kroger Midtown Expansion Gets Mixed Reaction - Wednesday, September 26, 2012

While the expansion of Kroger’s Midtown store is still in the early stages, the effects are apparent in the surrounding community.

Kroger Delta Division earlier this month bought the Belvedere Apartments for $2.6 million. It then purchased the Kroger store on Union Avenue that it was leasing from Art Seessels’ family, as well as two adjacent parcels for a combined $4.6 million, bringing Kroger’s ownership of property in the area from South Idlewild Street to LeMaster Street along Union.

35. New Panera Underscores Midtown’s ‘Tipping Point’ - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Panera Bread Co. is coming to one of Midtown’s busiest streets following years of site selection in the area.

36. Midtown Utopia - Monday, September 24, 2012

Of Memphis’ tales of humble beginnings, of which there are many, the fluctuating renaissance of the Cooper-Young neighborhood is certainly compelling throughout.

The area has cycled from its 19th century roots to 1970s crime and neglect to its present-day status as one of the largest historic districts in the Southeast, a magnet of all ages and walks of life. All thanks to individuals and organizations that wouldn’t settle for sub-par quality in their tiny town within the bustling Bluff City.

37. Kroger Purchases Union Store, Seessels Family Property for $4.6M - Friday, September 21, 2012

The Kroger Delta Division has purchased the Kroger store on Union Avenue from the Seessels family, which includes the land behind the Belvedere Apartments and the strip of land behind the store, for a combined $4.6 million.

38. Terry Dedicates Career to Betterment of Community - Friday, September 14, 2012

Memphis native Laura Terry, development officer at The MED Foundation, has dedicated her career to bettering the community by working in the Bluff City’s nonprofit sector – something she attributes to her parents’ influence.

39. Midgley Passionate About Memphis, Helping Others - Friday, September 07, 2012

Memphis has turned out be a perfect fit for Plough Foundation program associate Katie Midgley, whose research interests landed her in the city back in 2008.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mississippi State University, she continued her education at the University of Alabama, pursuing a master’s degree in criminology.

40. Medical Providers Excited About Crosstown Potential - Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The health care partners who’ve committed to having a physical presence in the soon-to-be-redeveloped Sears Crosstown Tower say they’re excited about the opportunities to join forces in promoting health and wellness in the Memphis community.

41. New Day Coming for Sears Crosstown Urban Village - Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The historic Sears Crosstown building in Midtown Memphis is being redeveloped as a mixed-used vertical urban village, with nine “founding partners” in local health care, education and arts organizations that have signed on to occupy 600,000 square feet of the total 1.4 million square feet of space.

42. Long Road Ahead for City to Get Green Cred - Monday, July 30, 2012

Green is complex, we are finding out. It also has some of the same economic factors to consider that non-green undertakings do.

Some who are deeply involved in what others might argue are green initiatives don’t necessarily see it that way.

43. Poplar Transformation - Monday, July 09, 2012

Two big retail deals have recently been inked on the Poplar Avenue corridor, soon filling empty spaces on the city’s busiest street.

A new Family Dollar is going in the old Stringer’s Garden Center site at 2974 Poplar, while Office Depot and Hollywood Feed are going in the former Samuel’s Furniture space at 5502-5510 Poplar, near South Yates Road.

44. City Should Keep Square Revival Front and Center - Monday, July 09, 2012

The plan for the revitalization of the Overton Square entertainment district needs to move forward before it changes again or becomes even more complex than it is now.

The latest iteration of the redevelopment plan includes Overton Square becoming part of a Tourism Development Zone and Tax Increment Financing district that would funnel its anticipated increase in sales tax revenue to get the Fairgrounds renovation back on track.

45. Another Round - Monday, July 09, 2012

The revitalization of Overton Square can perhaps be best summed up with a famous quote often attributed to Mark Twain: “History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”

The history of the Midtown entertainment district dates back to late 1970, when T.G.I. Friday’s opened its first franchised location on Madison Avenue near Cooper Street following the passage of a referendum vote allowing liquor by the drink citywide a year prior.

46. Council Tests Auto Inspection Rules - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Memphis City Council members have approved a financial hardship waiver that allows Memphis motorists who flunk the emissions part of their auto inspection to claim the repairs will cost them too much and get a one-year one-time-only waiver on the inspection.

47. Council Committee Mulls UDC Changes - Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Memphis City Council members have worked out just about all of the questions about changes to the Unified Development Code.

The council takes up the set of proposed changes to the 18-month-old code Tuesday, July 3, at a 12:45 p.m. committee session.

48. Clients are the Big Fish At Nicholson’s Marketing Firm - Friday, June 29, 2012

Tim Nicholson is the founder and owner of Bigfish, a Memphis-based branding, website development and social media-focused marketing company that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

49. Fire Still Burning Strong For A2H Founder Askew - Monday, June 25, 2012

Mark Askew’s engineering career began with a long, strange trip from Memphis in 1969.

But it’s the years of work he did after returning home that are paying off with high honors from his industry peers this year.

50. Tying it All Together - Monday, June 25, 2012

Two of the city’s high-profile architecture firms are behind the design enhancement of one of Memphis’ most cherished spots – Overton Square.

LRK Inc. is the architect of record for both Loeb Properties Inc.’s $20 million revitalization of the Midtown theater district and also for the city’s parking garage at Monroe Avenue and Florence Street.

51. Feds Overlook Elvis Presley Blvd. Work - Thursday, June 21, 2012

A few hours after federal officials announced in Washington Tuesday, June 19, that the Harahan Rail Bridge boardwalk project had been awarded $15 million in grant funding, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. asked Memphis City Council member Harold Collins how he was.

52. Fair Expands One Source With New Broker, Listings - Tuesday, June 19, 2012

For 15 years, One Source Commercial Inc. has been comprised of one agent: its founder, Rosemarie Fair.

53. Slice of the Pie - Monday, June 18, 2012

Come mid-July, local restaurateur Aldo Dean will launch Aldo’s Pizza Pies, his group’s third concept in Memphis and second in Downtown’s Central Business District.

Dean is one of three partners behind the new 3,900-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor of Henry Turley Co.’s Barboro Flats at 100 S. Main St. Adam Slovis of Slovis & Associates LLC represented Dean and his group in its seven-year lease for Aldo’s Pizza Pies.

54. Home Browsers - Monday, June 04, 2012

Amid the fast-pace world of the real estate business, having technology on your side is not only beneficial, but often necessary.

Due to the rising popularity of smartphones, real estate apps and the Web, homebuyers are doing their homework on neighborhoods, schools, amenities and crime well before they pick up the phone and seek professional advice.

55. Culinary Passion Began at Early Age for Doty - Friday, May 25, 2012

A usual day for Jason Doty starts at about 2:30 a.m. The 38-year-old pastry chef is due at Bluff City Coffee’s new commercial kitchen in Pembroke Square by 4 a.m. to begin “the load for the day.”

56. A Time to Celebrate MSO’s Joyful Noise - Monday, May 21, 2012

We are in the midst of a season of change in the sprawling musical landscape known as Memphis music.

Noting the death this month of band mate Donald “Duck” Dunn along with the recent deaths of Skip Pitts and Andrew Love, Booker T. Jones said on his Facebook page that “God is calling names in the music world. He gave us these treasures and now he is taking them back.”

57. Townsend Links Businesses With Economic Resources - Friday, May 11, 2012

When it comes to economic development, the administration of Tennesee Gov. Bill Haslam is working hard to convince new businesses to set up shop in the state.

But an important guiding principle in that work is the state can’t do it in a vacuum.

58. Forum Addresses Latest HUD, Real Estate Trends - Monday, May 07, 2012

People who receive housing counseling before they borrow are much less likely to default. Research shows that 75 percent of at-risk homeowners who meet with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development housing counselors and attend loss mitigation programs won’t be foreclosed.

59. Plantation Setting for Fundraiser - Monday, April 30, 2012

The glory of the past and the art of the present collide along the Mississippi River as West Memphis-based DeltaARTS unveils a first-time event.

“Art on the Levee at Waverly Plantation” will showcase one of the few remaining Antebellum homes on the Mississippi River levee in Eastern Arkansas, on Saturday, April 28.

60. White Joins BankTennessee As Mortgage Specialist - Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Judy Sulton White has joined BankTennessee as a mortgage loan specialist. White has worked in the mortgage industry for 30 years and will focus on new-home financing options, mortgage refinances and custom construction loans.

61. Tying it all Together - Friday, April 20, 2012

University of Memphis art student Alex Smythe, who grew up in the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood, is extending an invitation to all Memphians to celebrate the revitalization of one of the city’s most diverse communities with the first annual V&E Greenline Artwalk.

62. Bee Raises Funds for Literacy - Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Literacy Mid-South Thursday, April 12, will host its 2012 Corporate Spelling Bee from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Room at Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road.

63. City Council To Mark MLK Anniversary - Tuesday, April 03, 2012

The Memphis City Council will mark the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the first city street named in honor of the civil rights leader who was killed in Memphis 44 years ago this week.

64. Cooper-Young Growth - Tuesday, March 06, 2012

When Bert Smythe decided to launch new restaurant concept Alchemy last summer in the Cooper-Young district, the 5,200-square-foot space formerly occupied by Grace and Au Fond Farmtable seemed about 25 percent larger than was needed.

65. Five Guys to Open 2nd Local Burger Joint - Monday, March 05, 2012

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has inked its second Memphis-area lease – this one in Bartlett – and is close to solidifying two other locations, including one in Midtown.

Jubilee Restaurant Group LLC, owner of the Memphis franchise, has signed a 3,100-square-foot lease in Stage Centre. Five Guys is taking the subdivided end-cap of the 6,660-square-foot space formerly occupied by Blockbuster Video.

66. Five Guys to Open 2nd Local Burger Joint - Friday, March 02, 2012

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has inked its second Memphis-area lease – this one in Bartlett – and is close to solidifying two other locations, one in Midtown and another in Germantown.

Jubilee Restaurant Group LLC, owner of the Memphis franchise, has signed a 3,100-square-foot lease in Stage Centre. Five Guys is taking the subdivided end-cap of the 6,660-square-foot space formerly occupied by Blockbuster Video.

67. Bigfish Finds Bigger Pond in Midtown - Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Editor’s Note: Per Bigfish’s request, this entire interview was done via Twitter. Certain words and phrases of Tim Nicholson’s responses will appear in parentheses, due to slang used during the course of the interview given the medium through which it was conducted.

68. Room Service - Monday, February 27, 2012

The good news for the local hotel industry is that last year notched the most rooms ever sold on a daily basis with 4.8 million – 115,628 more than 2010 and 76,780 more than the previous high set in 2007.

69. Council to Weigh Pink Palace Funding - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A $20 million upgrade of the Memphis Pink Palace Museum tops the Tuesday, Feb. 21, Memphis City Council agenda that also includes two items key to Overton Square redevelopment and $510,000 in capital appropriations for the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

70. Org Asks What Memphis is Reading - Friday, February 17, 2012

Literacy Mid-South has kicked off a Twitter campaign to get Memphians talking about their favorite books.

“What are you reading, Memphis?” encourages people to tweet about books they’re reading, using the hashtag #ReadMemphis.

71. French Quarter’s New Owners Meet With Residents - Friday, February 03, 2012

Two new local owners are under contract to buy and convert the former French Quarter Suites Hotel in Midtown’s Overton Square district to a Comfort Suites in a $6 million project.

At a public meeting Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Memphis Heritage Inc.’s office, 2282 Madison Ave., partners Jay Kumar and Rishi Chopra revealed plans to purchase the vacant 103-room hotel at 2144 Madison Ave., at the northeast corner of Cooper Street and Madison from FQI LLC for $2.3 million and pump about $3.7 million into renovations.

72. Former French Quarter Hotel to Become Comfort Suites - Thursday, February 02, 2012

Two new local owners are under contract to convert the former French Quarter Suites Hotel in Midtown’s Overton Square district to a Comfort Suites in a $6 million project.

At a public meeting Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Memphis Heritage, 2282 Madison Ave., partners Jay Kumar and Rishi Chopra revealed their plans to purchase the vacant 103-room hotel at the northeast corner of Cooper Street and Madison Avenue from FQI LLC for $2.3 million and pump about $3.7 million into renovations.

73. Business Licenses Rise Slightly in 2011 - Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Shelby County Clerk’s Office issued 5,751 business licenses in 2011, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com. It’s about a 5 percent increase from 2010, when 5,489 were filed in the county.

74. Bluff City Coffee Inks New Space - Friday, January 20, 2012

Bluff City Coffee, the coffee and snack shop in Downtown’s South Main Historic Arts District, has recently unveiled some aggressive expansion plans.

The local eatery has leased a 3,000-square-foot kitchen in the Pembroke Building, 119 S. Main St., in the space behind the Center for Southern Folklore.

75. Loeb Tells Rotary About Overton Square Plans - Thursday, January 12, 2012

Among the first of Bob Loeb’s comments when he addressed the Memphis Rotary Club Tuesday, Jan. 10, was that when his firm finishes the redevelopment of Overton Square, the hope is to pass the Rotarian Four-Way Test.

76. Holtz Joins Fulmer Cos. Marketing Department - Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Wendy Holtz has joined Fulmer Cos. as its marketing communications manager.

Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas

Education: B.S. in communications from the University of Texas, Austin; M.B.A. in international business from San Diego State University

77. That's a Wrap - Monday, January 02, 2012

If the grand sweep of 2011 could be captured on celluloid and presented to an audience on the big screen, all the components of a great film would be readily apparent.

There was drama, in the form of a deluge and historic flooding that led the Mississippi River to crest at nearly 48 feet early in the year. One of the year’s big surprises saw President Barack Obama give the commencement address for the Booker T. Washington High School class of 2011 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

78. Beyond Square One - Monday, December 26, 2011

Memphis City Council’s approval for spending $16 million to improve Midtown’s Overton Square marked a milestone for neighborhood supporters, grassroots leaders and financial stakeholders – especially Loeb Properties Inc.

79. Overton Square Votes Dominate Meeting - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Memphis City Council votes Tuesday, Dec. 20, on the redevelopment of Overton Square. At its last meeting of the year, the council will vote on a planned development for the south side of Madison Avenue at Cooper Street to be redeveloped by Loeb Properties Inc. The development includes a parking garage.

80. Council Passes Amended City Bonus, Rejects Water Rate Hike - Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Memphis City Council members approved a $750 flat bonus for all full time city employees Tuesday, Dec. 6, and a flat bonus of $200 for part time city employees.

Just as the Shelby County Commission did Monday for county employees, the council departed from the mayoral administration’s plan for a bonus as a percentage of pay.

81. Council to Discuss City Employee Bonuses - Tuesday, December 06, 2011

The day after the Shelby County Commission considered a one-time bonus for county government employees, the Memphis City Council will talk about a bonus for city employees.

The council takes up the item during an 8:30 a.m. committee session Tuesday, Dec. 6, at City Hall, 125 N. Main St. It could be added to the agenda for the full council meeting at 3:30 p.m.

82. Changes Squared - Monday, December 05, 2011

Memphis City Council would have voted Tuesday, Dec. 6, on whether it would fork over about $16 million in funds for public infrastructure improvements in Loeb Properties Inc.'s redevelopment of Midtown’s Overton Square.

83. Arlington Pet Hospital Files $1.2M Permit For Expansion - Friday, November 18, 2011

Construction plans for a new stand-alone space for a growing Arlington veterinary clinic are under way near its current shopping center space.

Samuel Garrett Davis, founder of Arlington Pet Hospital PLLC, has filed a $1.2 million building permit application with the city-county Department of Construction Code Enforcement for a 5,200-square-foot facility, complete with hospital boarding and grooming capabilities.

84. Union Avenue Dialysis Ctr. Sells for $1.7 Million - Friday, November 11, 2011

Haskell, Okla.-based WMEM LLC has bought a nearly 15,000-square-foot building at 2225 Union Ave. from CKC Development Co. for $1.7 million.

85. Union Holiday Deli & Ham Adds Drive-Thru, Parking - Friday, November 11, 2011

Holiday Deli & Ham Co. is in the midst of adding parking and a drive-thru to its high-volume Midtown store.

86. The Next Link - Friday, November 11, 2011

The next front in the city’s greenline movement is along the floodwalls of Chelsea Avenue in North Memphis.

Greater Memphis Greenline Inc. plans to develop a 2.5-mile section of an old railway into the Chelsea Avenue Greenline, a multiuse trail that will connect Overton Park with Uptown.

87. Methodist Adds Another Private Practice - Wednesday, November 02, 2011

In alignment with the local and national trend of health care systems partnering with physicians groups, Eastmoreland Internal Medicine is the latest practice to join the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare family.

88. Dunkin’ Donuts Franchisee to Open East Memphis Store - Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Dunkin’ Donuts is entering the prime East Memphis trade area with the sixth store in the Memphis area.

Franchisee Akshar Mendenhall Inc., doing business as Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins, has signed a 2,700-square-foot lease at 5150 Poplar Ave. on the northwest corner of Poplar and Brookhaven Circle East. This will be his fifth store.

89. Dunkin’ Donuts Franchisee to Open East Memphis Store - Monday, October 31, 2011

Dunkin’ Donuts is entering the prime East Memphis trade area with the sixth store in the Memphis area.

Franchisee Akshar Mendenhall Inc., doing business as Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins, has signed a 2,700-square-foot lease at 5150 Poplar Ave. on the northwest corner of Poplar and Brookhaven Circle East. This will be his fifth store.

90. Methodist, West Clinic Form Alliance - Monday, October 31, 2011

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and The West Clinic have joined forces to create a comprehensive, fully integrated cancer service.

As part of the partnership – which was announced Friday, Oct. 28, and will take effect Jan. 1 – about 110 direct patient-care employees at The West Clinic will become Methodist Healthcare associates. Doctors and administrative staff will remain with The West Clinic.

91. Methodist, West Clinic Form Alliance - Friday, October 28, 2011

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and The West Clinic have joined forces to create a comprehensive, fully integrated cancer service.

As part of the partnership – which was announced Friday, Oct. 28, and will take effect Jan. 1 – about 110 direct patient-care employees at The West Clinic will become Methodist Healthcare associates. Doctors and administrative staff will remain with The West Clinic. 

92. MacAdvantage Changes Hands, Moves to Erin Way Center - Monday, October 24, 2011

MacAdvantage Inc. is one of Tennessee’s only two Apple Specialist stores – a name that carries a certain amount of pride to an independent Apple dealer because of the hard work it takes to reach that goal.

93. Overton Park Conservancy Delivers Tentative Plan - Thursday, October 20, 2011

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and City Attorney Herman Morris are examining a tentative management agreement for an Overton Park Conservancy to run the Midtown landmark that would remain under city of Memphis ownership.

94. Business License Activity Rises 14 Pct. in Q3 - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The number of businesses licenses filed with the Shelby County Clerk’s office increased by more than 14 percent to 1,592 in the third quarter compared with 1,391 in third quarter 2010, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

95. Loeb Unveils Ambitious Plan For Renewed Overton Square - Friday, October 14, 2011

Loeb Properties Inc. hopes to capitalize on Midtown’s recent successes with a $31 million revitalization plan for Overton Square.

96. Loeb Properties Reveals Theater Arts District for Overton Square - Thursday, October 13, 2011

Loeb Properties Inc. is hoping to capitalize on Midtown’s recent successes with a $31 million revitalization plan for Overton Square.

97. ITT Goulds Signs Lease In Southaven - Friday, September 23, 2011

A Seneca Falls, N.Y.-based industrial pumping system manufacturer has inked a deal for a distribution center across the parking lot from its current space in Southaven.

ITT Goulds signed a 68,508-square-foot lease in Industrial Development International Inc.’s Stateline Business Park Building C, at 8890 Commerce Drive.

98. Wildly Popular - Monday, August 29, 2011

Many Memphians are unaware that the Memphis Zoo they visited when they were children is a completely different zoo today, thanks to more than $90 million in renovations since the early 1990s.

The story of the zoo began in 1906 with a black bear named Natch, a retired baseball mascot. Today, the Memphis Zoo spans 70 acres and is home to more than 3,500 animals representing more than 500 species.

99. Living on the Edge - Thursday, August 18, 2011

In 2008, something was brewing in the area near Cleveland and Watkins streets south of Poplar Avenue in Midtown.

A developer, Tom Marsh, working with Florida-based WSG Development, had unveiled plans for a mixed-use development to include small and large retail, including a Target store, condominiums, apartments and medical offices, along with all-around improvements to the neighborhood known as Crosstown.

100. Literacy Mid-South Aims to Combat Local Illiteracy - Monday, August 15, 2011

Literacy Mid-South executive director Kevin Dean and his staff stay busy spreading the word about the identity and mission of the nonprofit organization, the result of a merger last year between Memphis Literacy Council and Mid-South Reads.