Ballet Memphis hosts its free Ballet Memphis School Sampler Saturday, Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon in its Imagine Studio, 2144 Madison Ave. Parents can learn about Ballet Memphis programs and children ages 3-18 can try a class for free. Schedule: Discover Dance (ages 3-5), 9:15 to 9:45 a.m.; beginner ballet (ages 6-10), 9:45 to 10:30 a.m.; beginner ballet (11 and older), 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.; and tap (any age), 11:15 to noon. No special clothes required. Visit balletmemphis.org/events for details.

2. Events - Friday, August 10, 2018

Playhouse on the Square presents the regional premiere of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” Friday, Aug. 10, through Sept. 2 at 66 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for showtimes and tickets.

3. Choose901 Back To School Shop Pops Up Fri. & Sat. - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Choose901 will host its annual Back 2 School Pop-Up Shop Aug. 3 and 4 at Ballet Memphis, located at 2144 Madison Ave. in Overton Square.

4. Events - Saturday, March 24, 2018

The Overton Park Conservancy will host a Park Fun Day and Science Fair Sunday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Overton Park’s East Parkway Pavilion. Events include a science fair with research partners from the University of Memphis, Rhodes College and Christian Brothers University; an 11:30 a.m. mini-BioBlitz, a tour of the Old Forest with conservancy staff to record as many species as possible; the finals of the International Society of Arboriculture Southern Chapter's tree-climbing contest; and games and food trucks. Cost is free. Visit overtonpark.org.

5. Events - Friday, March 23, 2018

David Lusk Gallery-Memphis will hold an opening reception for Libby Johnson’s “Tempest” and Rob Matthews’ “Peace Like a Fever” Friday, March 23, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at DLG, 97 Tillman St. Johnson and Matthews will also give an artist talk Saturday, March 24, at 11 a.m. Visit davidluskgallery.com.

6. The Week Ahead: March 19-25, 2018 - Monday, March 19, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Spring fever’s in the air as the equinox officially arrives Tuesday morning. Tell winter to take a hike at the new Heels 4 Healing 5K for St. Jude this weekend, then let the kids dance the blues away at a pair of family ballet events. Here’s what else you should know about in The Week Ahead…

7. Events - Saturday, March 3, 2018

Playhouse on the Square will present “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” Friday, March 2, through March 25 at 66 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for times and tickets.

8. Events - Friday, March 2, 2018

Playhouse on the Square will present “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” Friday, March 2, through March 25 at 66 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org for times and tickets.

9. Events - Thursday, March 1, 2018

Memphis Heritage hosts Preservation Posse: After Hours at the Universal Life Insurance Building Thursday, March 1, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (doors at 5:30 p.m.) at 480 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Universal Life Insurance Building led by Jimmie Tucker of Self + Tucker Architects, and learn about the history and future of this adaptive reuse project from the experts making it happen. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Visit memphisheritage.org for details and tickets.

10. Events - Saturday, February 24, 2018

Hattiloo Theatre will perform “Selma: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Friday, Feb. 23, through March 18 at Hattiloo, 37 S. Cooper St. The dramatic musical captures prominent moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Visit hattiloo.org for showtimes and tickets.

11. Events - Friday, February 23, 2018

Hattiloo Theatre will perform “Selma: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Friday, Feb. 23, through March 18 at Hattiloo, 37 S. Cooper St. The dramatic musical captures prominent moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Visit hattiloo.org for showtimes and tickets.

12. The Invisible Problem - Friday, February 23, 2018

If we are serious about addressing violence in our community, then we must be courageous enough to acknowledge a pervasive reality that most of us would prefer not to see: Violence often starts inside the home.

13. Events - Thursday, February 22, 2018

Celtic Crossing will host An Evening of Irish Whiskey Tasting Thursday, Feb. 22, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at 903 S. Cooper St. The fourth edition in a series of private tasting events includes a selection of four Irish whiskeys and light hors d’oeuvres. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $44 and must be purchased through Eventbrite. Visit facebook.com/celticcrossingirishpub for details.

14. Week Ahead: Feb.19-25 - Monday, February 19, 2018

It seems the only thing consistent about this hot again, cold again weather is the rain. As we enter another week of the waning winter, there are plenty of events to keep you entertained. But don’t forget the umbrellas, Memphis!

15. Events - Thursday, November 2, 2017

Mama Gaia will donate 25 percent of all sales made at both its locations Thursday, Nov. 2, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Crosstown Concourse location (1350 Concourse Ave., suite 137) is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the Overton Square location (2144 Madison Ave.) is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit mamagaia.net for details.

16. Events - Saturday, August 26, 2017

Girl Scouts Heart of the South’s second annual One Smart Cookie Luncheon will be held Thursday, Aug. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd. Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, will present the keynote. Come early to browse the tables and place bids in the One Smart Cookie silent auction. Tickets are $75; several sponsorship levels are available. Visit girlscoutshs.org for details.

17. Events - Friday, August 25, 2017

Circuit Playhouse will open its 2017-18 season with the regional premiere of “The Flick” Friday, Aug. 25, through Sept. 10 at 51 S. Cooper St. Visit playhouseonthesquare.org.

18. Events - Thursday, August 24, 2017

A Staff Line job fair will be held Thursday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5100 Poplar Ave., eighth-floor conference room. Positions include line leads, staging auditors, machine operators, receiving clerk, forklift operators and material handlers. Job seekers should bring two forms of identification for on-the-spot applications and job offers.

19. The Week Ahead: Aug. 21-27 - Monday, August 21, 2017

Hello, Memphis! Are you ready for the (almost-)total eclipse that sweeps over the city Monday? Check out our master list of eclipse-viewing parties, plus more happenings you need to know about – like, say, a performance by Samurai Elvis – in The Week Ahead... 

20. Ballet Memphis Begins Move Into Midtown Facility - Monday, August 7, 2017

The new $21 million Ballet Memphis studio in Overton Square has room for Peter Pan to fly and a two-way view of a ballet company making revolutionary turns in dance.

But all of the choreography during a Thursday, Aug. 3, tour of the 38,000-square-foot set of five studios, offices, a costume shop, meeting and classroom space and a Mama Gaia corner café at Madison Avenue and North Cooper Street was among construction workers.

21. $12.6M Building Permit For New Ballet Memphis HQ - Thursday, April 21, 2016

2144 Madison Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
Permit Amount: $12.6 million

Owner: Ballet Memphis
Tenant: Ballet Memphis
Architect: Archimania
Contractor: Grinder, Taber & Grinder
Details: Ballet Memphis is setting the stage for its Overton Square headquarters as Grinder, Taber & Grinder recently applied for a $12.6 million building permit for new construction.

22. Ballet Memphis Files Permit For Overton Square HQ - Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Ballet Memphis is setting the stage for its Overton Square headquarters as Grinder, Taber & Grinder recently applied for a $12.6 million building permit for new construction.

In 2015, Ballet Memphis purchased the former French Quarter Inn, at the corner of Madison Avenue and North Cooper Street. Demolition on the shuttered hotel began in October.

23. Sale of Former Memphis Police Headquarters Set for May - Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The tours and inspections are done for now. And City Hall’s timeline for selling the circa-1910 Memphis Police headquarters at 128 Adams Ave. is a bit behind schedule.

24. Ballet Memphis Closes On French Quarter Suites Purchase - Tuesday, August 18, 2015

2144 Madison Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104

Sale Amount: $4.2 million

Sale Date: Aug. 6, 2015

25. Building Ballet - Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Ask Ballet Memphis CEO and founding artistic director Dorothy Gunther Pugh about her dance company's newly announced move to Midtown, and the conversation doesn't immediately turn to obvious things like the when and the why.

26. Ballet Memphis Turns to Overton Square - Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Scratch those plans for a new Hotel Overton where the French Quarter Inn now sits in Overton Square.

Ballet Memphis has a sales contract on the property at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street and plans to build a new two-story structure fronting on Madison with parking in the rear and on the eastern end.

27. This week in Memphis history: June 19-25 - Saturday, June 20, 2015

1985: The Center City Revenue Finance Corp. takes the first step toward financing a residential development to be called South of Beale, bounded by Fourth and Third streets and Lt. George W. Lee and Linden avenues – the block where FedExForum is now.

28. French Quarter Inn Sells for $1.9 Million - Saturday, January 4, 2014

The long-vacant French Quarter Inn on Madison Avenue near Overton Square has been sold for $1.9 million, according to property records.

California-based NCE Realty and Capital Group LLC closed Dec. 31 on the purchase of the 105-room inn at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street.

29. French Quarter Inn Sells for $1.9 Million - Friday, January 3, 2014

The long-vacant French Quarter Inn on Madison Avenue near Overton Square has been sold for $1.9 million, according to property records.

California-based NCE Realty and Capital Group LLC closed Dec. 31 on the purchase of the 105-room inn at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street.

30. French Quarter Deal Collapses - Friday, November 1, 2013

A Texas-based group had inked a deal to purchase the long-vacant French Quarter Suites Hotel near Overton Square, but the proposed sale fell through the cracks.

Austin, Texas-based ASC Management had until Oct. 31 to close on the purchase of the 105-room inn at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street but did not complete the sale.

31. French Quarter Suites Deal Hangs in Balance - Wednesday, October 30, 2013

A planned deal to redevelop the long-vacant French Quarter Suites Hotel near Overton Square is nearing a critical deadline.

Austin, Texas-based ASC Management has until Oct. 31 to close on the purchase of the 105-room inn at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street but has not yet done so, according to one of the property’s current owners.

32. French Quarter Deal Hangs in Balance - Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A planned deal to redevelop the long-vacant French Quarter Suites Hotel near Overton Square is nearing a critical deadline.

Austin, Texas-based ASC Management has until Oct. 31 to close on the purchase of the 105-room inn at the northeast corner of Madison and Cooper Avenues but has not yet done so, according to one of the property’s current owners.

33. Filling the Voids - Saturday, February 2, 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.

34. 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.

35. French Quarter’s New Owners Meet With Residents - Friday, February 3, 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.

36. Former French Quarter Hotel to Become Comfort Suites - Thursday, February 2, 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.

37. Midtown Vacancy - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Memphis hospitality professional Tony Westmoreland hopes someone can breathe new life into a beleaguered, empty Midtown building that operated as a hotel for more than four decades.

38. Yosemite Sam’s Set to Close, Sell to Loeb - Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Yosemite Sam’s, the longest-running existing business in Overton Square, will close Aug. 27, according to the owner, Faye Pannell.

39. French Quarter Suites Hotel Bought Back by Original Owner - Tuesday, December 8, 2009

2144 Madison Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
Sale Amounts: $1 Million; $300,000; $200,000

Sale Dates:Nov. 20, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2009
Buyer:FQI LLC
Sellers:Lodgian Memphis Property Owner LLC, Horace and Ann Proctor, and Martha D. Sutton
Loan Amount:$1.3 million
Loan Date:Nov. 30, 2009
Maturity Date:Nov. 20, 2010
Lender:Triumph Bank

40. French Quarter’s Original Owners Buy Back Property - Monday, December 7, 2009

The French Quarter Suites Hotel has come full circle, as the group that originally owned the property in the 1980s reacquired it last month for $1.5 million.

FQI LLC, a limited liability company whose chief manager is Ronald L. Kirkpatrick, bought the shuttered hotel at 2144 Madison Ave. from three sellers – Lodgian Memphis Property Owner LLC, Horace and Ann Proctor, and Martha D. Sutton – in three separate warranty deeds all dated in November.

41. Archived Article: Real Recap - Tuesday, July 6, 2004
2144 Madison Ave

Atlanta Firm Refinances French Quarter Suites

2144 Madison Ave.

Memphis, TN 38104

Cost: $4 million

Borrower: Lodgian Memphis Property Owner LLC

Lender: Merrill Lynch Mortgage Lending Inc.

Trustee: Midsouth Title...

42. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, November 12, 1997
Robert Moullen has been appointed general manager for the French Quarter Suites Hotel, 2144 Madison Ave Robert Moullen has been appointed general manager for the French Quarter Suites Hotel, 2144 Madison Ave. Moullen has more than 18 years of experi...