In her six years as a CPA, Ginna Word has seen the industry from both sides of a spreadsheet, as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche, and as a corporate, in-house accountant for The ServiceMaster Co.

2. City Enticing FBI to Move Downtown - Tuesday, May 14, 2013

City leaders are attempting to bring the FBI Downtown. The FBI is searching for a significant amount of office space, and local leaders, including U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, are urging the law enforcement agency to locate Downtown.

3. State Zeros in on Downtown Office Space - Monday, May 13, 2013

The future of the state’s role as a major employer and user of office space Downtown could become much clearer this week.

Proposals are due Thursday, May 16, for 100,000 square feet of office space that will become vacant when the state abandons the Donnelley J. Hill State Office Building Downtown. A recent request for proposals from the agency that handles state real estate appears to put the state’s focus entirely on Downtown.

4. International Interaction - Saturday, May 11, 2013

Memphians and out-of-towners are gathering Downtown throughout this month to hear the stirring sounds of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, savor the product of competitive barbecue cooking and watch major touring acts rock the stages at Tom Lee Park.

5. Test Drive - Friday, May 03, 2013

When car sharing meets the parking and driving practices of Memphians on the streets of Downtown, the encounter could go so many ways between bad and good.

So when Zipcar parked four cars in four on-street parking spaces Downtown last month, there were a lot of questions first about how car sharing works but also about whether the national trend would apply to a city with a unique driving culture.

6. Carlisle Corp. Solidifies Development of Chisca - Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Paul Morris hesitated when he started organizing the project launch two weeks ago for the renovation and conversion of the old Chisca hotel into an apartment building.

7. Chisca Rebirth - Friday, April 26, 2013

“Memphis: The Musical” meets the real life setting Friday, April 26, for the fictional story of a Memphis radio announcer in the 1950s.

Actor Bryan Fenkart will walk about a block on South Main Street from The Orpheum Theater to the old Chisca hotel to perform at the project’s launch party. The party in the hotel’s garage space kicks off the $24 million renovation of the hotel as an apartment building.

8. Choose901 Celebrates One Year of Upbeat Message - Monday, April 01, 2013

One phrase has been popping up in the local social media world with increasingly frequency over the past year.

Choose901.

It refers to a campaign led by the civic group City Leadership, and it’s designed to do exactly what the name says.

9. South Main’s New Life - Saturday, March 02, 2013

The history of the South Main Historic Arts District is as colorful as its present-day users, an alternating rhythm of sorts in Memphis’ songbook.

The area has oscillated from its ritzy suburban roots of the 1800s to the industrial era ghost town of the 20th century and now to its current status as Downtown’s flourishing arts and boutique district and the subject of some $100 million in investment. And it’s all due to stakeholders who braved the status quo in distinguishing the southern end of the Central Business District as that funky place with an indescribable vibe.

10. Incentives Help Bring More Women Into Business Fold - Saturday, February 23, 2013

When Kimberly Taylor decided to launch her boutique K’PreSha, she considered East Memphis and Downtown.

11. 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.

12. Pinnacle Departure Brings Real Estate Challenge - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s relocation of its Memphis headquarters to Minneapolis by May should have long-term leasing effects on the Downtown office market.

13. Pinnacle Moving Memphis Headquarters to Minnesota - Friday, January 25, 2013

Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is moving its headquarters to Minneapolis by May as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.

The regional air carrier announced the move out of One Commerce Square Downtown Thursday, Jan. 24, saying the new headquarters will be in vacant space leased by Delta Air Lines at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

14. Battling Blight - Monday, January 07, 2013

The kickoff date to the Downtown Memphis Commission’s anti-blight initiative on April 1, 2011, is embedded in president Paul Morris’ memory.

15. Heritage Trail Complexity a Concern - Wednesday, December 26, 2012

As 2012 comes to an end, the most ambitious plan from City Hall for the revitalization of an inner-city area in 15 years of such projects has hit a critical stage.

The idea of a tax increment financing zone for a large swath of the area south of FedExForum as well as the Downtown area itself into South Memphis is being examined closely by Shelby County Commissioners before they commit county property tax revenues with the “Heritage Trail” zone.

16. High-Stakes Game - Saturday, December 15, 2012

At week’s end, International Paper Co. appeared ready to move forward with officially applying for a package of tax incentives as part of a plan to expand the company’s headquarters in the city.

17. High-Stakes Game - Saturday, December 15, 2012

At week’s end, International Paper Co. appeared ready to move forward with officially applying for a package of tax incentives as part of a plan to expand the company’s headquarters in the city.

18. Agency to Weigh Plan for Heritage Trails in Early 2013 - Friday, December 07, 2012

The group that will determine whether there is a tax increment financing zone for the city’s Heritage Trails redevelopment plan should begin considering the specifics of the development plan itself starting in mid-January.

19. Garage Demolition First Step for Downtown Project - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Downtown parking garage attached to the 147 Jefferson Ave. building is being demolished, the first of many steps the property owner is taking to redevelop its adjacent 12-story masonry office building for a proposed mixed-use facility.

20. Heritage Trail Plan Raises Concerns - Tuesday, November 20, 2012

While the focus of the Heritage Trail Community Redevelopment Plan is on public housing projects Cleaborn Pointe at Heritage Landing and Foote Homes, the 20-year plan has far reaching implications for Downtown stakeholders, especially real estate developers.

21. Center City Revenue Finance Corp. Passes Financing for Downtown Buildings - Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Center City Revenue Finance Corp. passed several housekeeping items at its Tuesday, Nov. 13, board meeting, including assigning a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) lease agreement to Montreal-based Olymbec USA LLC for Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe Ave.

22. Downtown Rising - Friday, November 02, 2012

Despite a faltering economy, many of America’s downtowns are in the midst of a revival, according to a September U.S. Census study, and Memphis is no exception.

The study, “Patterns of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Population Change: 2000 to 2010,” shows that in many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, downtown populations grew at double-digit rates over the last decade, primarily due to the availability of new housing and services. And after previous decades of decline, the residential population in Downtown Memphis increased as well, growing by 7 percent to reach approximately 22,000 residents in 2010, according to the latest metrics compiled by the Downtown Memphis Commission.

23. Hotel Chisca Gets New Owners, Art Facelift - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The chain-link fence surrounding the dilapidated Hotel Chisca in Downtown Memphis is a little bit easier on the eyes as of Saturday, Oct. 27.

That’s because it now boasts 30 colorful banners created by students of St. Louis Catholic School, under the leadership of art teacher Robin Durden. The art exhibit, “Memphis Music Icons,” pays tribute to the Hotel Chisca’s legacy of being the location where Elvis Presley was first played on Dewey Phillips’ “Red, Hot and Blue” radio show from the WHBQ studios in 1954.

24. Hotel Chisca Gets New Owners, Art Facelift - Monday, October 29, 2012

The chain link fence surrounding the dilapidated Hotel Chisca in Downtown Memphis is a little bit easier on the eyes as of Saturday, Oct. 27.

That’s because it now boasts 30 colorful banners created by students of St. Louis Catholic School, under the leadership of art teacher Robin Durden. The art exhibit, “Memphis Music Icons,” pays tribute to the Hotel Chisca’s legacy of being the location where Elvis Presley was first played on Dewey Phillips’ “Red, Hot and Blue” radio show from the WHBQ studios in 1954.

25. Public Hearings Begin On Main to Main Connector - Friday, October 26, 2012

Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Morris calls it “Main Street to Main Street Over The Harahan.”

The unofficial name for the $30 million project linking Main Street Memphis to Broadway Street in West Memphis via a bicycle and pedestrian boardwalk on the Harahan rail bridge across the Mississippi River draws fewer questions than the title that involves the term “intermodal connector.”

26. Downtown Memphis Commission Celebrates Progress - Monday, October 01, 2012

There was bicycle-powered smoothie preparation, an aerial circus-style art show, Beale Street Flippers, live music outside, a disc jockey inside, and food and drinks from Downtown restaurants and suppliers.

27. ‘Back in Time’ - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

When local model railroaders first got together with the idea two years ago, there was little more than a dream and a dark tunnel.

Today, the light at the end of that tunnel is the 2,500-square-foot Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum at 545 S. Main St. in Downtown.

28. CCDC Passes Two Downtown Projects - Thursday, September 20, 2012

Two Downtown Memphis projects were propelled Wednesday, Sept. 19, by the Center City Development Corp. while the board was briefed on several of the area’s businesses that are in flux.

29. Main Connector - Monday, September 03, 2012

The attention Downtown Memphis’ South Main Historic Arts District and its surrounding areas has received this year has far-reaching implications for future development.

Recent high-profile deals the community has seen get the green light include the Chisca Hotel redevelopment, Storefront Improvement Grant Program, branding efforts with North Star Destination Strategies, growth at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis and Memphis Central Station, a flurry of apartment and loft rehabs, and retail activity with a new athletic club and restaurants.

30. Visionary Project - Thursday, August 23, 2012

The reversal of fate for the blighted Chisca Hotel at the intersection of South Main Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, plagued by passive out-of-town ownership and environmental hazards, was set in motion during a phone call about 18 months ago.

31. Events - Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Better Business Bureau will continue its 2012 breakfast series with “How to Remember Almost Anything – Even if You’re 100” Tuesday, Aug. 21, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at BBB, 3693 Tyndale Ave. Cost is free for BBB-accredited businesses and $15 for nonmembers. R.S.V.P. to Cheryl Stewart at cstewart@bbbmidsouth.org or 757-8603.

32. Events - Monday, August 20, 2012

Stax Museum of American Soul Music will host Conversations With: Wattstax 40th anniversary panel discussion Monday, Aug. 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the museum, 926 E. McLemore Ave. Cost is $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Visit staxmuseum.com.

33. City Council Committee Approves Lee House Transfer - Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Economic Development, Tourism and Technology Committee of the Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Aug. 7, the $1 transfer of the James Lee house in Downtown Memphis’ Victorian Village from the city of Memphis to The James Lee House LLC, a corporation led by local developer Jose Velazquez.

34. Music on the Move - Tuesday, July 17, 2012

When the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission first tried out its idea recently to put local musicians aboard the Downtown trolley to entertain passengers, singer Nancy Apple led a kind of trial run.

35. Chisca Hotel Project Faces Crucial Votes - Monday, July 16, 2012

Three organizations crucial to the redevelopment of the Chisca Hotel will vote this week on blight remediation and development incentives for the historic Downtown property that has been in dilapidated condition for more than 20 years.

36. Chisca Blight Remediation, Development Incentives Up for Vote - Friday, July 13, 2012

Three organizations crucial to the redevelopment of the Chisca Hotel will vote next week on blight remediation and development incentives for the historic Downtown property that has been in dilapidated condition for the more than 20 years.

37. Landing Sign Approved Following Design Debate - Friday, July 13, 2012

The sign for Beale Street Landing turned out not to be a big deal for the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board.

It’s larger than the planning standards and guidelines for that part of Downtown. But most on the board argued an exception was warranted and the sign could go bigger because of the scale of the project it is attached to. The sign was approved.

38. Review Board Approves Beale Landing Sign - Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Design Review Board of the Downtown Memphis Commission has approved the wall sign for Beale Street Landing as well as a directional sign on the ground in front of the Riverside Drive attraction.

39. Public-Private Partnership At Heart of Harahan Grant - Wednesday, June 27, 2012

When the U.S. Transportation Department announced which projects across the country would get a share of $500 million in TIGER grants, it came after local leaders made a series of decisions of their own about a combination of state and federal funding that traveled different paths from the same coffers to two Memphis projects.

40. CCRFC Approves Chisca Hotel Tax Break - Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp. at its Tuesday, June 12, board meeting approved a 20-year PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) program for the restoration of the Chisca Hotel led by Main Street Apartment Partners LLC.

41. CCRFC Approves Chisca Hotel Tax Break - Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp. at its Tuesday, June 12, board meeting approved a 20-year PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) program for the restoration of the Chisca Hotel led by Main Street Apartment Partners LLC.

42. Unveiling Downtown - Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Twenty makeshift art galleries have just popped up in Downtown Memphis.

It’s part of “Unveil Downtown,” an event that has created 20 different spaces within the neighborhood’s restaurants and retail spaces to showcase the work of area artists. The works will be displayed for 20 days, and each artist will not only get to exhibit and sell eight to 10 pieces of artwork, but they’ll keep 100 percent of the proceeds of any sales.

43. DMC Hires Firm for South Main Branding - Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Downtown Memphis Commission unanimously voted to hire Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies to help in the organization’s South Main branding campaign at its monthly board meeting Friday, May 25.

44. Trustee Pitches Tax Collection to City - Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Bob Patterson, the county official known for his felt hats and folksy charm, repeatedly gave it a try.

After he died in 2008, Paul Mattila picked up the attempts where Patterson left off. So did Regina Morrison Newman, who replaced Mattila when he died in 2009.

45. Downtown Commission Reviews South Main Branding, Chisca - Monday, May 28, 2012

The Downtown Memphis Commission unanimously approved to hire Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies to help in the organization’s South Main branding campaign at its monthly board meeting Friday, May 25.

46. Clearing Blockage - Wednesday, May 09, 2012

The block of Madison Avenue between Main and Second streets hasn’t been easy for quite a while.

It’s where the Main Street Trolley makes the turn to its Madison Avenue leg. It’s also where the trolleys sit idle for long periods of time seemingly unaware that they coexist with auto traffic. Residents of the Exchange Building who don’t have paid parking routinely park there instead, sometimes despite numerous tickets.

47. Sterick Building Gets Upgrades - Friday, April 20, 2012

The Sterick Building at 8 N. Third St. and Madison Avenue is getting some much-needed renovations from its owner.

48. Redbirds Reconnection - Monday, April 16, 2012

One of baseball’s enduring maxims is that anytime you go to a game you’ve got a chance to see something you’ve never seen before.

Apparently, this now applies off the field too, because a few weeks ago a group that included Magic Johnson as the front man paid $2.15 billion to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from financially troubled owner Frank McCourt.

49. Loaded Garage Has Grizzlies Revved Up - Friday, April 13, 2012

Just how deep are the Memphis Grizzlies? So deep that Zach Randolph’s second car is a Rolls-Royce.

No kidding. Another driver hit Randolph’s Dodge Challenger on Bill Morris Parkway the other day, so Z-Bo had to go to the automotive bench and drive the Rolls to his office (alias, FedExForum).

50. Morris: It’s Time to Redevelop Chisca Hotel - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Downtown Memphis Commission is working with developers interested in converting the Chisca Hotel into a set of smaller studio apartments.

DMC president Paul Morris on Tuesday, March 13, talked in general terms about working with the developers, noting the commission has signed a confidentiality agreement with them.

51. Local Leaders Make Pitch For Bridge Funding - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Memphis leaders will be in Washington Wednesday, March 14, to push for two projects they hope will win a share of federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery – or TIGER IV – grants.

52. Harahan Bridge Plan Now Centerpiece Connecting Main Streets - Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The plan to build a bicycle and pedestrian boardwalk on the northern side of the Harahan Bridge Downtown is now part of a larger plan to connect Main Street Memphis to Broadway Avenue, the Main Street of West Memphis, Ark.

53. Work Begins On Cupcake, Wine Shop - Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Work is moving forward on a concept that’s been in the works for at least two years that would bring a cupcake and wine shop to Downtown’s South Main Historic Arts District.

Archer Custom Builders has filed a $125,077 building permit application for the shop’s property at 314 S. Main St., according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

54. Memphis According to Memphians - Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Last week we asked readers “What does Memphis mean to you?” This question is the driving force behind the creation of a community narrative that will help us align our efforts and come together with a shared voice so we can sing about our city in pitch-perfect unison and harmony.

55. Chamberlain Joins MBI - Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Jessica Chamberlain has joined MBI as a workspace consultant.

Hometown: Arlington, Tenn.

56. Trading Hands - Monday, January 16, 2012

It’s been something of a roller coaster ride for a little more than six months in the drawn-out process by Regions Financial Corp. to sell Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc., its Memphis-based investment unit.

57. Heart of Memphis - Monday, November 14, 2011

The day before Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was the keynote speaker this summer at the Downtown Memphis Commission’s 2011 Annual Luncheon, he went for a jog in Nashville wearing his “Believe Memphis” Grizzlies T-shirt.

58. Pedicabs Debut Downtown, Rides Free for Now - Tuesday, November 08, 2011

For now, the newest addition to Main Street mall traffic and Downtown traffic in general will run free of charge.

But the founders of Memphis Pedicab Co. are urging those who use the adapted three-wheel bicycles to get around Downtown to tip the drivers. Still to come is an ordinance that formally regulates pedicabs.

59. Waiting For The Tip - Monday, October 31, 2011

Great seasons end.

Great cities endure.

That’s not just one of the Memphis Grizzlies’ new marketing slogans. Capitalizing on last season’s success and building an enduring franchise are aspirations for the organization as it copes with the reality of the NBA lockout and the ongoing dry spell of professional hometown hoops.

60. IREM Memphis to Host Fall Forum - Friday, October 21, 2011

The Institute of Real Estate Management Memphis Chapter 20 will host a Fall Forum Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Memphis Area Association of Realtors, 6393 Poplar Ave.

61. Greyhound Move to Alter Downtown Gateway - Thursday, October 06, 2011

The recent listing of the Greyhound Bus Station in Downtown Memphis has a lot bigger impact for the city than meets the eye.

Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc. soon will move its depot to Memphis Area Transit Authority’s Airways Transit Center, 3033 Airways Blvd., near Memphis International Airport.

62. Unions Continue Budget Battle in Thursday’s Election - Wednesday, October 05, 2011

No ballot questions are to be decided in the Thursday, Oct. 6, Memphis elections. But at least one of the City Council races will be viewed as a referendum on the clout of the city’s municipal labor unions.

63. Morris Makes Case for Reviving City’s Core - Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Kurt Vonnegut died in 2007 but his words live on through Twitter under the handle @Kurt_Vonnegut.

Paul Morris is a big fan of the late writer’s posthumous tweets, especially a recent one that read, “Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.”

64. Tower Revival - Thursday, August 25, 2011

The reversal of fortune for the Downtown tower at the intersection of Main Street and Monroe Avenue, until recently plagued by falling occupancy and an uncertain future, was set in motion in a private meeting one year ago this month.

65. Center of Attention - Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Next month, several hundred business leaders, civic officials and Downtown stakeholders will gather at The Peabody hotel to hear Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam argue for the importance of building up a city’s Downtown core.

66. Morris to Celebrate First Anniversary at CCC - Friday, June 03, 2011

Among the actions A C Wharton Jr. took after his election as mayor of Memphis in October 2009 was adding then-Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC attorney Paul Morris to a transition team already packed with movers and shakers.

67. CCC Rebrands as Downtown Memphis Development Commission - Monday, May 30, 2011

The center of the city shifted to – take your pick – East Memphis or Midtown a long time ago, at least geographically speaking.

That’s one reason why today the Downtown-focused Center City Commission’s name (or part of it) shifted, too.

68. Chamber Launches Free Wi-Fi ‘M Spot’ - Monday, May 23, 2011

The Greater Memphis Chamber will officially launch its free Wi-Fi space, “M Spot” Tuesday, May 24, at the Falls Building, 22 N. Front St. Speakers include Chamber CEO John Moore and Center City Commission president Paul Morris.

69. Festival Relocation to Impact Local Businesses - Wednesday, May 11, 2011

When historic flooding forced a venue change for Memphis in May’s 34th annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Downtown and Midtown businesses began bracing to make the best of the sudden switch.

70. New Song - Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The music and worship arts college formerly known as Visible School officially changed its name to Visible Music College as it prepares to move into its new home at 200 Madison Ave. Downtown later this year.

71. Memphis Area Legal Services Elects Board Officers - Thursday, April 07, 2011

The Memphis Area Legal Services Inc. has elected its 2011 board officers.

Sean A. Hunt of The Hunt Law Firm has been elected the new board president. He succeeds Center City Commission President Paul H. Morris, who will continue on the board as immediate past president.

72. Independent Bank Eyes Space in One Commerce - Monday, March 07, 2011

A bank logo may soon be returning to One Commerce Square.

Multiple sources confirmed Independent Bank is in the final stages of negotiating a deal to put a bank branch – and possibly additional office space – in the landmark Downtown tower, where for years the top of the building was adorned with the logo for National Bank of Commerce and later SunTrust Banks Inc.

73. S. Main Business Design On Tap at DRB - Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Design plans for a new South Main business originally presented as “Red Velvet,” a cupcake and wine eatery, are due to go before the Center City Commission Design Review Board Wednesday.

74. Pushing Up and Ahead - Monday, January 17, 2011

Fresh off a year capped by major office deals and new leadership atop the development agency that oversees it, it’s already clear the story of Downtown Memphis in 2011 will be dominated by forward momentum.

75. ATTN: Mayor Wharton - Monday, January 10, 2011

Memphians sound off on city’s most pressing needs.

Aaron Shafer
Founder of Skatelife Memphis; scientist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hosp.
Develop and promote a citywide mentoring campaign. We must heavily invest in the positive development of our children. Many of our Memphis children suffer not from a material poverty, but a poverty of healthy relationships and ultimately a poverty of possibility – of reaching their full potential. Each of us has had supportive network of mentors (“the village”) in our lives, be they our parents, teachers or friends, that have come along side of us to build our self-esteem and to help us navigate a path that moves us closer to realizing our potential.

76. No Election Date Yet For MCS Charter Surrender - Thursday, January 06, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission met Wednesday and adjourned minutes later without putting the Memphis City Schools (MCS) charter surrender on a special election ballot.

The five-member body refused based on a legal opinion from Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins delivered an hour before the meeting. The opinion says the Memphis City Council must approve having the referendum before the item can go on the ballot.

77. Pinnacle Signs Lease at One Commerce - Thursday, December 16, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has signed a long-term lease at One Commerce Square, the Downtown tower where Pinnacle is relocating its corporate headquarters and several hundred employees.

78. Pinnacle Decision, Pep Rally Required Collaborative Effort - Thursday, November 18, 2010

Howell Marketing CEO Amy Howell has a lot to say in a blog she posted this week about her firm’s deep involvement in media strategy for Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s decision on a new headquarters location.

79. Recap of Incentives on Tap for Center City Board - Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Center City Commission board of directors will get a recap from CCC president Paul Morris at Thursday’s board meeting of the myriad financial incentives that CCC-affiliated boards approved this month.

80. Second Street Building Gets Mixed-Use Makeover - Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Developers are bringing a brand of apartments that has flourished on Downtown’s Main Street one block over with a $9.7 million project called Van Vleet Flats and Offices.

An extensive rehab has begun on the old warehouse at 109 S. Second St., at the northwest corner of Second Street and Gayoso Avenue.

81. Pinnacle Gets $195K Tenant Improvement Grant - Friday, October 22, 2010

Downtown boosters added another incentive to the mix this week to smooth the way for Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its corporate headquarters to Downtown’s One Commerce Square.

82. Pinnacle Gets $195K Tenant Improvement Grant - Thursday, October 21, 2010

Downtown boosters added another incentive to the mix Wednesday to smooth the way for Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its corporate headquarters to Downtown’s One Commerce Square.

83. Pinnacle Seeks CCDC Funds to Aid Move - Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Downtown boosters are still trying to add incentives to the mix to smooth the way for Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its corporate headquarters to Downtown’s One Commerce Square.

84. Pinnacle Move Could Spark Downtown Housing Market - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The recent buzz from Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s decision to move its airport-area headquarters to One Commerce Square is generating mostly positive feedback, but real estate agents say its too early to tell how the shift of 600-plus new employees to the area will affect the Downtown housing market.

85. Pinnacle Deal Provides Blueprint for Memphis - Monday, October 11, 2010

News that Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is heading Downtown – and not Olive Branch – is a welcome sign that change is brewing in Memphis.

86. Downtown Touchdown - Monday, October 11, 2010

Many of the dominoes that fell into place in advance of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. deciding to move its Memphis corporate headquarters to the landmark Downtown tower One Commerce Square happened in the public eye.

87. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce - Thursday, October 07, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

88. Pinnacle Chooses One Commerce Square - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has decided to shift its Memphis headquarters from Memphis International Airport to a landmark Downtown tower, capping months of study by Pinnacle and intense lobbying of the regional air carrier by state and local governments.

89. Downtown Board Discusses Hospitality Hub - Thursday, September 23, 2010

Among the items on tap at Thursday’s Center City Commission board of directors meeting, CCC president Paul Morris is scheduled to give an update on the future of the Hospitality Hub – a program founded by the Downtown Churches Association.

90. Honoring Heritage - Friday, September 03, 2010

Judy Peiser has a good idea of how Memphians define Memphis, but the catch is that her definition lasts only one year at best.

This weekend, the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, hosted by the Center for Southern Folklore, gives Memphians a chance to live Memphis’ identity and cultural legacy on the streets of Downtown.

91. Into the Future - Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Memphis College of Art has undergone big changes in recent weeks, and the newest one has changed the face of the South Main Historic Arts District as well.

The college’s graduate school, formerly housed in and near MCA’s main campus at 1930 Poplar Ave., is now open in a converted warehouse space at 477 S. Main St. The college purchased the 49,025-square-foot space in late January for $400,000 and immediately set to work with Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects on the architectural design of the space, said Ken Strickland, MCA interim president.

92. Gov. Contender McWherter Tours MED - Monday, August 30, 2010

For candidates running for Tennessee governor, their frequent trips to Memphis this summer have resembled pilgrimages at times.

No one has made the most obvious Memphis pilgrimage stop yet – Graceland – but two other points in the city have been popular.

93. ‘South Main’s Got It’ - Friday, August 27, 2010

The South Main Historic Arts District could be viewed as a microcosm of all of Downtown. In decades past, it experienced a heyday and a dramatic decline. In recent years, it’s made a slow but thorough comeback.

94. Morris Issues SOS: ‘Save Our Skyline’ - Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Center City Commission president Paul Morris has called it a campaign to save the city skyline.

“Right now, Memphis’ skyline is in jeopardy,” Morris told Shelby County Commissioners this week before the commission approved the latest of several economic incentives designed to bring the Pinnacle Airlines Corp. headquarters to One Commerce Square, 40 S. Main St.

95. CCRFC Plans Package to Woo Pinnacle - Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. will take several key steps at its meeting Thursday toward assembling the incentive package city leaders and an investor group hope will convince Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its Memphis headquarters Downtown.

96. Proposed One Commerce Incentives for Pinnacle Include Loan, 15-Year PILOT - Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. will take several key steps at its meeting Thursday toward assembling the incentive package city leaders and an investor group hope will convince Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its Memphis headquarters Downtown.

97. City Leaders Roll Out Red Carpet for Pinnacle - Thursday, August 12, 2010

The opportunity to convince Pinnacle Airlines Corp. to bring its Memphis headquarters Downtown has presented the first opportunity for several important figures to coordinate their efforts on a major economic development deal.

98. Pinnacle Board Gets Downtown Hard Sell - Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. executives, after listening to a coordinated, Downtown-focused pitch from developers, businessmen and political leaders, will now take about a month to finish deciding where to relocate their corporate headquarters.

They’re considering sites Downtown, near Memphis International Airport as well as beyond the city. Mississippi has made what Pinnacle acknowledged is a “generous” offer for the company to move to Olive Branch.

Pinnacle executives are in town this week for the Memphis-based regional air carrier’s regular board meeting. Backers of the proposal to make Pinnacle the anchor tenant at Downtown’s One Commerce Square took that opportunity to make their case directly to the company in a private meeting Tuesday evening on the 29th floor of the landmark tower.

After about an hour, Pinnacle executives descended to the One Commerce lobby, where Memphis’ business elite were gathered, refreshments were served, and projected onto a screen were the words “Pinnacle Land Here” against a backdrop of the city.

Guests included a handful of political leaders, representatives of the Greater Memphis Chamber, EmergeMemphis, the Center City Commission and the heads of Memphis two largest locally-based banks, First Tennessee and Independent Bank, among other people.

Contrasting with the traditional nametags everyone else wore, the nametags of Pinnacle board members were brightly colored. All the better, Downtown supporters pointed out, for identifying them and laying on the charm.

“We’re going to fill this building,” exclaimed Karl Schledwitz, one of the partners with Southland Capital president Terry Lynch involved in buying the tower and working to lease a significant portion of it to Pinnacle.

As guests mingled, a marketing video produced by the Center City Commission was played on one wall that featured Downtown workers talking up the neighborhood. The same video was shown earlier that evening during the private pitch to Pinnacle’s board.

Making the case to the board were Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.; incoming Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and representatives of the investors buying One Commerce, as well as the Center City Commission and the Looney Ricks Kiss architectural firm.

“Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s board of directors participated in a walk-through of One Commerce Square, hosted by members of the Center City Commission, the investors who are buying the building, and key business and government leaders,” said Phil Trenary, Pinnacle’s president and CEO, in a statement released Tuesday night. “This visit gave our board an opportunity to get a firsthand look at the building.

“Pinnacle has not selected a new site and still has to complete an in-depth analysis on this and other sites. We appreciate the interest and enthusiasm that the City of Memphis, the CCC, the Chamber and the ownership group have shown as we move through this process.”

Tuesday was the culmination of a months-long synchronized attempt at deal-making among several entities working to keep Pinnacle from being lured away from Memphis.

Details of the multimillion-dollar incentive package business and civic leaders have pieced together to cement the Downtown location for Pinnacle also began to trickle out Tuesday.

Coupled with that, a series of well-timed dominoes still needs to fall into place before a deal sweetened with a variety of incentives comes together.

Lynch confirmed Tuesday afternoon that several things have to happen more or less simultaneously.

The city, or perhaps an entity like one of the Center City Commission’s affiliated boards, would need to buy a nearby parking garage at the same time the investors buy One Commerce Square and at the same time Pinnacle signs a lease. Plans in the works now call for leasing the nearby parking garage back to One Commerce Square's new owners and giving Pinnacle parking there. More Pinnacle parking would be available at 250 Peabody Place.

Lynch said a memorandum of understanding has already been making its way around to various people involved in the deal. Wharton, outgoing Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford and CCC President Paul Morris have all signed a memo outlining the proposed incentives.

Lynch said U.S. Bank, the current owner of One Commerce Square, has accepted the investment group’s bid, but plenty more moving pieces need to fall into place.

“We have a letter of intent and we’re working through a contract right now. We’re just going back and forth. That’s the status of it right now,” Lynch said.

He said the timeline for next steps is fluid.

“If we don’t get past the first one, we can’t get to the second one,” Lynch said. “There’s various steps we have to get to.”

Wharton said Tuesday the city would like to commit $3 million from the $5 million economic development fund Wharton recently asked for the City Council’s approval to establish.

Wharton also mentioned Tuesday the possibility of applying for $15 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act bond allocations from the state to add to the pot of financing for the Pinnacle deal.

Another facet of the issue is how to pay for and fit into the package the acquisition of a nearby parking garage for Pinnacle’s use. The importance of that topic was discussed by Downtown officials with Pinnacle’s board Tuesday night.

“Landing Pinnacle Downtown would be a big boost in all kinds of ways,” said council member Bill Boyd.

U.S. Bancorp recently accepted the bid to buy One Commerce Square tower from a group of investors that includes Lynch; Schledwitz; and Gary Prosterman.

Lynch’s group is committing $25 million to $30 million on the building, which includes the purchase price and improvements to the building in the coming months. The group is now teeing up a deal to make Pinnacle the building's anchor tenant, something that Wharton has said will be an attraction to other businesses that have expressed interest in following suit if Pinnacle inks a deal.

Lynch wasn’t able to disclose the building's formal purchase price, but One Commerce Square was listed for $12 million.

Look for updates at The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

99. Downtown's Hospital - Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Patients in a hospital bed could always use one more supportive visit, gentle touch or encouraging word.

Sometimes, that’s also the case for the hospitals themselves.

The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, which has been buffeted in recent years by financial challenges, is one example. The safety-net hospital has a new CEO, is executing on a turnaround plan and is making strides to improve features of the hospital both large and small.

100. ‘Denser’ Downtown The Solution, Morris Says - Monday, July 26, 2010

The new leader of the Center City Commission made an impassioned plea for a denser Downtown area as a solution to an exodus from the city and county.

CCC president Paul Morris said at the Downtown organization’s annual luncheon last week that a “Downtown strategy” can be spread to the rest of Memphis.