Shelby Farms Park is gearing up for the second annual Mempho Music Festival and another chance to showcase the country’s largest urban park to a diverse and wide-reaching audience.
Memphis’ newest music festival is expecting a crowd of 20,000 on Oct. 6 and 7, which is impressive for a park two years out from a $70 million renovation embarked upon in 2010 with a distant vision for such an event.
The master plan for the park was designed not only for people to recreate and relax, but as a place to build community, and a music festival can be a big part of that, said Jen Andrews, executive director of Shelby Farms Park. Andrews has always had a larger vision for the park as a place where the community could come together and take ownership and pride in the best that Memphis has to offer.
Enter another visionary, native Memphian Diego Winegardner, founder of Mempho Fest and CEO of Big River Presents, which is putting on the festival. Winegardner grew up in Memphis and now lives outside of New York City where his day job is in finance and investment management. A couple of years ago on a trip home to Memphis he met some old friends for a bike ride at Shelby Farms Park.
“I was completely blown away,” Winegardner said. “The sun was setting on Hyde Lake, and I had this lightning-bolt moment of how special it would be to bring a world-class music festival to this site.
I thought about Memphis’ place in the annals of American music as the birthplace of blues, soul and R&B and the hip hop scene that we have here.
“If you think about the labels … Sun, Stax, Royal…I was exposed to all of that growing up, and seeing B.B. King on Beale Street was just normal,” he said. “I didn’t appreciate it until I was gone. I started to get really nostalgic about my hometown.”
Winegardner is a music enthusiast who has been to most of the notable music festivals in the U.S. and many around the world. He had the resources and connections to realize his dream. Last year, the first Mempho Fest kicked off with great success with 10,000 in attendance for two days of concerts featuring a variety of bands from different music genres.
“I’ve always been a big fan of (Memphis) and its people and a big defender of the city and its history,” Winegardner said. “This music festival was born out of my passion for music and my passion for the city of Memphis.”
When Winegardner first met with Andrews two years ago to pitch his idea, she caught his vision right away.
He approached it cautiously and wanted to understand how to protect the park and still give people a good experience, she said. “We like working with Diego,” she said. “They care about the park, and like us, have a big, bold vision, and they hired a professional team who knew how to put on a safe and fun event.”
This year’s festival will feature two days of multi-genre music headlined by Grammy Award-winning artist and hip-hop superstar Post Malone as well as Beck, Phoenix, NAS and Janelle Monae. Local talent like Lucero and alternative Mac deMarco also will perform, and there will be a special tribute to Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios featuring the label’s past and present stars.
Sunday will feature performances by crowd favorites like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and Stones Throw, Chuck Laevell’s Rolling Stones’ backer band.
The festival will not only expand in attendance, but will add a larger culinary and craft beer presence in addition to on-site camping and VIP and super-VIP experiences.
“We’re trying to create more than just music on a stage,” said Winegardner, who also created a nonprofit arm called Mempho Matters that will partner with organizations that line-up with the vision of the festival, such as Oceanic Global Foundation, #BringYourSoul, Learn to Rock and the Memphis Area Women’s Council’s “Memphis Says NO MORE” campaign.
As part of Mempho’s partnership with the Oceanic Global Foundation, the festival has a 100 percent waste-free goal, which will start with its no straw policy.
“A best practice environmental policy is important to help make sure the park is as pristine when we leave as when we showed up,” said Winegardner.
The partnership promoting the Memphis Area Women’s Council’s “NO MORE” campaign is to make sure that Mempho Fest’s female attendees feel safe. Winegardner, who has a teenage daughter, knows stories about the lack of safety for females at other events, prompting him to take up the cause.
“In this day and age, you really have to take a stand and make it an institutional part of our way of doing things,” he said.
Money raised through Mempho Matters will also benefit the Memphis community through contributions to musical education in the form of free tickets for students and teachers to attend the festival as well as instruments and money for music education in local schools.
Last year, Mempho Matters gave away 2,000 tickets to students and teachers.
“We want to build bridges into the community and be as inclusive as possible,” Winegardner said. “We want to educate the children and the youth of tomorrow about the history of Memphis musically and create a sense of pride for its citizens while also attracting new people and adding another chapter to Memphis’ long, rich history.”
Andrews is optimistic about the growth of Mempho Fest this year, projecting double the attendance in its second year as well as adding 400 weekend camping permits. Those include primitive camping, RV hookups and glamping.
“The camping option is an important part of festival culture, and one of the great benefits of the park is its tremendous scale, which can accommodate that,” Andrews said.
But the plan is to grow Mempho Fest slowly, she said.
“We learned a lot the first year, and we’re applying the learning to this year’s festival,” she said. “We have a strong plan for safely managing the crowd. We want this to be a world-class festival.”
Big River Productions and Winegardner have an undisclosed agreement with Shelby Farms Park, and both entities hope to continue the relationship.
“I’m hoping that Mempho Fest will become a long-term asset for the city of Memphis,” Winegardner said.
Music remains a big driver of visitors to Memphis — 56 percent of leisure visitors come to the city for something related to music, said Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Tourism, formerly called the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re supporters of (Mempho Fest),” he said. “We believe in it and want to see it grow. Music festivals have a big impact on the economy. The more events we have based in music the better, and we think it’s great to utilize Shelby Farms in this way.”

2. Construction on Concourse B At Memphis International Underway - Thursday, September 13, 2018

Memphis International Airport officials launched a $245 million modernization of Concourse B Wednesday, Sept. 12, by shoveling ceremonial dirt in a soon-to-be-demolished section between gates B1 and B2.

3. Solid Foundation - Thursday, September 6, 2018

While sitting at his desk, Fred Jones needs only to take a quick look up and to his right to see the strides made by him and his Southern Heritage Classic. But what does the 70-year-old Jones see when he looks up at the hopeful guy in his early 40s staring back from a newspaper photo accompanying a story prior to the inaugural game in 1990?

4. Hotel Occupancy Takes Dip, Local Forecast Not That Rosy - Thursday, August 30, 2018

Memphis hotel occupancy in 2018 has fallen off a torrid pace of recent years, with growth in home-sharing and the convention center’s pending renovation shouldering some of the blame, industry officials say.

5. Memphis Sports Hall of Fame Will Be One-of-a-Kind - Friday, July 27, 2018

To get an idea of what the future Memphis Sports Hall of Fame might look like, you can travel Interstate 40, stop in at Bridgestone Arena on Broadway in downtown Nashville, and see the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. But you can also go just around the corner, to 421 S. Main St., and visit the Blues Hall of Fame.

6. Last Word: Rebranding and Self Identity, The Many Legs of CTE and Draft Recap - Monday, June 25, 2018

What’s in a name? Plenty when it comes to tourism. The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau is now Memphis Tourism – a name change that has been in the making for a while before last week’s unveiling at the CVB’s annual meeting where it flipped the switch on the new identity. There are a couple of key ingredients in the change – soul and home – according to Memphis Tourism president Kevin Kane.

7. Memphis Tourism: Organization's Rebrand Adds Soul - Friday, June 22, 2018

Even the simplest rebranding can come with a lot of study. So the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau's rebranding to Memphis Tourism, announced Friday, June 22, may not seem like a big change.

And the change of the accompanying tagline from “home of the blues and birthplace of rock 'n' roll” to “home of the blues, soul and rock 'n' roll” may also seem like a tweak.

8. Memphis Tourism: Organization's Rebrand Adds Soul - Friday, June 22, 2018

Even the simplest rebranding can come with a lot of study.

So the rebrand announced last week of Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau to Memphis Tourism may not seem like a big change. And the change of the accompanying tagline from “home of the blues and birthplace of rock and roll” to “home of the blues, soul and rock and roll” may also seem like a tweak.

9. 100 North Main - Saturday, June 2, 2018

The city’s tallest building, the 37-story 100 North Main Building – may or may not become the city’s second convention center hotel. But the skyscraper that has been vacant for four years and counting is the centerpiece of a 3-acre planned commercial complex anchored by a 600-room hotel, no matter where it winds up in the footprint. The complex, as much as the hotel, promises to change more than the city’s convention business.

10. Rolling by the River - Wednesday, May 23, 2018

After nearly two years of planning, preparation and hard work, Explore Bike Share in Memphis has finally rolled out. Despite the early morning heat and humidity, several hundred onlookers and volunteers assembled Downtown in Court Square Wednesday, May 23, to celebrate the official launch of the 600-bike fleet.

11. The Week Ahead: May 21-27 - Monday, May 21, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! School ends this week and the long-awaited Explore Bike Share bicycle stations open across the city. The 600 bikes for rent will enable residents and visitors to explore the city, ride to work, visit local landmarks and get some exercise without polluting the air.

12. Editorial: Hardaway Takes Game Off The Court, Into the City - Saturday, May 19, 2018

While we have pondered and called meetings and probably hired consultants to help us get our arms around young Memphians who leave the city to seek their future and never return, something has been happening. And it has been happening around the city’s dominant sport – basketball.

13. Memphis Site of One of Golf’s Greatest Events - Friday, April 13, 2018

The hugs, the handshakes, the slaps on the back, the big smiles and loud, lengthy applause. All things normally saved in the golf world for that moment when a 75-foot eagle putt settles in the bottom of the hole.

14. Visiting Memphis 50 Years After King's Assassination - Thursday, March 29, 2018

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Fifty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The civil rights leader's shocking murder on April 4, 1968, marked one of the most significant moments in U.S. history.

15. Heir on the Side of Caution - Saturday, March 3, 2018

The closest and best parcel of land for a second convention center hotel in Downtown Memphis is the Mud Island parking garage. It’s a block away from the Memphis Cook Convention Center and is the first site that came up when a Denver developer approached the city last year about possibly building such a hotel.

16. City Puts Price of Convention Center Renovation at $175M - Friday, December 29, 2017

The renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center will cost $175 million and should be completed by the end of 2019, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Friday, Dec. 29.

17. City Puts Price of Convention Center Renovation at $175 Million - Friday, December 29, 2017

The renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center will cost $175 million and should be completed by the end of 2019, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland announced Friday, Dec. 29.

18. Worth the Wait - Thursday, December 7, 2017

Just since 1995, the University of Southern California has stayed home to play in the Rose Bowl more than a half-dozen times. Steve Ehrhart, executive director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, couldn’t help but look at that with a bit of envy.

19. Last Word: Cohen on Manafort, Collierville's Growth and The Quiet Jackson - Tuesday, October 31, 2017

A close one for the best team in the NBA Monday evening at the Forum but the Grizz lose only their second game of the young season to the Hornets 104 – 99. Some of you went. Some of you watched. Still others opted for the Edgar Allen Poe biography on “American Masters” while getting your costume together and then made a late run for candy. You know who you are.

20. Mud Island Garage Ruled Out As Convention Center Hotel Site - Tuesday, October 31, 2017

The city of Memphis continues to field proposals for a second convention center hotel Downtown, but it won’t be on the city-owned site of the Mud Island parking garage, which had been at the center of at least one proposal pitched to City Hall for such a hotel in the last year.

21. Last Word: Weekend Plans, Leaving Home and the Clown Show Turns a Corner - Friday, October 27, 2017

Grizz win at the Forum 96 – 91 against the Mavericks Thursday, a night after losing to the Mavericks in Dallas. And off we go into a busy weekend starting with Friday’s University of Memphis football game at the Liberty Bowl against Tulane and into Saturday’s Race for the Cure through Downtown followed closely by day two of the River Arts Fest in South Main, which begins its three-day run Friday evening.

22. Loeb Properties Planning $24M Overton Square Hotel - Saturday, September 16, 2017

Loeb Properties wants to build on the revival of Overton Square by adding a $24 million, 100-room hotel in the district.

The Memphis-based company and its partners – boutique hotel developer LRC2 Properties and hospitality management company MMI Hotel Group – are seeking a 15-year tax abatement to construct a 100-room boutique hotel at the southwest corner of Cooper Street and Trimble Place, south of Madison Avenue in Midtown Memphis.

23. Memphis Receives First Check From Airbnb - Thursday, August 31, 2017

Nationally and in Memphis, the hotel room supply, room demand, occupancy rate and average daily room rate were all on the rise year-to-date through July, pointing to a healthy market overall.

That’s according to information compiled by STR presented at the Southern Lodging Summit Wednesday morning, Aug. 30, at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. The Southern Lodging Summit is an annual event hosted by Pinkowski & Co. and the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel and Lodging Association.

24. Stiff Competition - Saturday, July 1, 2017

Selling Memphis as a place to visit may be easier now than it’s ever been. Conversely, it may also be as difficult as it’s ever been. That dichotomy arises from the fact that Memphis has more amenities, more things to do, see and eat than ever before.

25. NASCAR Race Returns To Memphis on June 3 - Saturday, May 13, 2017

NASCAR driver Harrison Burton and other guests will hold a press conference Monday, May 15, at noon at Memphis International Raceway to mark the return of NASCAR to Memphis.

Burton, the 16-year-old driver of the No. 12 DEX Imaging Toyota, will test his No. 12 Toyota on the Memphis oval.

26. NASCAR Race Returns To Memphis on June 3 - Friday, May 12, 2017

NASCAR driver Harrison Burton and other guests will hold a press conference Monday, May 15, at noon at Memphis International Raceway to mark the return of NASCAR to Memphis.

Burton, the 16-year-old driver of the No. 12 DEX Imaging Toyota, will test his No. 12 Toyota on the Memphis oval.

27. Last Word: BSMF, Budget Books and Milli Vanilli - Monday, May 8, 2017

Three days of sun and mild temperatures for the Beale Street Music Festival. Not to be all “Dawn Lazarus” about the weather. Of course, it wasn’t just that way over Tom Lee Park. And many of us continue to find there is life outside after you have determined your festival days may be behind you. We were all over the place this weekend including Tom Lee Park and Shelby Farms Park and backyards and trails and on a rising river. Can you still claim you were at BSMF if you were within earshot of it?

28. Tourism in Memphis Celebrated to the Tune of $3.2B Annually - Monday, May 8, 2017

Officially, National Travel & Tourism Week runs May 7 through May 13. But Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, got a jump on things this past week.

29. Memphis Continues Pursuit of New Convention Center Hotel - Saturday, April 1, 2017

More Downtown hotel rooms. Lots of them. And preferably under one roof.

“We need a big hotel,” said Chuck Pinkowski of Pinkowski & Co. “Four hundred, 500, 600, 800, 1,000. We need a big hotel at the Cook Convention Center to see more conventions. The question is: How do you fund improvements to the convention center and how do you fund a big hotel?”

30. Memphis Museums and Attractions Broaden Reach With Host of Upgrades - Saturday, March 18, 2017

Elvis Presley Enterprises made a splash in recent weeks with the grand opening of the 200,000-square-foot museum, restaurant and retail complex known as Elvis Presley’s Memphis. But the Graceland operator isn’t the only local institution upgrading what it offers visitors.

31. Memphis Site of NCAA South Regional March 24 & 26 - Saturday, March 11, 2017

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship South Regional will be held March 24 and 26 at FedExForum and hosted by the University of Memphis. The city most recently hosted the tournament in 2014.

32. Memphis Airport Launches 'I Fly MEM' Contest - Friday, March 10, 2017

Through March 17, travelers at Memphis International Airport will have chance to win two round-trip tickets to Toronto, Canada,  which is the hub of Memphis’ newest addition, Air Canada.

33. City Seeks Convention Center Hotel Planning Consultant - Thursday, March 9, 2017

The Memphis Cook Convention Center renovation is about to get a construction manager and soon to follow will be a price estimate – how much an upgrade to the 40-plus-year-old facility can the city get for its money.

34. Memphis Site of NCAA South Regional March 24 & 26 - Monday, March 6, 2017

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship South Regional will be held March 24 and 26 at FedExForum and hosted by the University of Memphis. The city most recently hosted the tournament in 2014.

35. Events - Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The city of Memphis Office of Business Diversity & Compliance Outreach will host “Diversity Programs 201: Certification Round Up: First Steps to Certify with the City of Memphis” Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Renaissance Business Center, 555 Beale St. Discover the importance of certification, learn about the city’s diversity programs, meet certifying agency representatives and start the application process on site. Cost is free. Register at eventbrite.com.

36. Events - Monday, February 20, 2017

The city of Memphis Office of Business Diversity & Compliance Outreach will host “Diversity Programs 201: Certification Round Up: First Steps to Certify with the City of Memphis” Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Renaissance Business Center, 555 Beale St. Discover the importance of certification, learn about the city's diversity programs, meet certifying agency representatives and start the application process on site. Cost is free. Register at eventbrite.com.

37. Memphis CVB Opens Australia Outpost - Saturday, February 18, 2017

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau is setting up shop Down Under with a sales and marketing effort aimed at Australia and New Zealand.

The Memphis CVB has hired a former leader of Tourism Australia to lead the Memphis effort.

38. Memphis CVB Opens Office For Australia-New Zealand - Tuesday, February 14, 2017

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau is setting up shop Down Under with a sales and marketing effort aimed at Australia and New Zealand.

The Memphis CVB has hired a former leader of Tourism Australia to lead the Memphis effort.

39. Memphis CVB Opens Australia-New Zealand Office - Friday, February 10, 2017

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau is setting up shop Down Under with a sales and marketing effort aimed at Australia and New Zealand.

The Memphis CVB has hired a former leader of Tourism Australia to lead the Memphis effort.

40. Sports Bind City - Saturday, January 21, 2017

Maybe it is your spouse’s Christmas party. Or a local business conference and no one else from your company is attending. When you give the room the once-over, it’s full of unfamiliar faces.

41. More Than One Convention Center Hotel Proposal - Monday, January 9, 2017

There is another convention center hotel proposal in circulation, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says.

42. Editorial: Traveling the Revenue Stream In the New Economy - Saturday, December 3, 2016

The new economy is here. And it is challenging the role of government in regulating businesses.

How much regulation is necessary to protect consumers is a question that predates Airbnb, Uber and Lyft. It’s a recurring issue at the intersection of business and government, and it should never be considered settled.

43. Platform for Property - Saturday, December 3, 2016

Airbnb is revolutionizing the hospitality industry causing legislators worldwide to scramble to regulate it, but the Memphis City Council is gaining state and national attention for its hands-off attitude.

44. Developer Wins Approval For Downtown Aloft Hotel - Friday, November 11, 2016

Mississippi-based Vibrant Hotels Inc. is one step closer to developing a new full-scale hotel in the heart of Downtown Memphis after its special use permit was approved by the Land Use Control Board Thursday, Nov. 10.

45. Ikea Prepares To Join Retail Landscape In Cordova - Friday, November 4, 2016

The marketplace section of the Ikea Memphis store is still a work in progress six weeks from its Dec. 14 opening.

Shelves are awaiting items in the home organization and storage area. The same is true in the home decoration area. LED fixtures are in place in the lighting area.

46. Grizzlies, C Spire Renew Partnership - Tuesday, October 25, 2016

The Memphis Grizzlies and C Spire, a diversified telecommunications and technology services company, have announced a multiyear extension of a partnership agreement with the NBA Western Conference team and FedExForum.

47. Big River Crossing, St. Jude Ride and RiverArtsFest to Draw Crowds - Friday, October 21, 2016

The Oct. 22 opening of the much anticipated Big River Crossing is joining the St. Jude Ride and the 10th annual RiverArtsFest for a big weekend of festivities on the banks of the Mississippi in Downtown Memphis.

48. Big River - Saturday, October 15, 2016

Jim Jackson had it planned. At the third annual Arkansas Delta Flatlander bicycle ride, the 100-kilometer bike ride would become what it was intended to be – a ride across the Mississippi River from West Memphis to Memphis across the northern side of the Harahan Bridge.

49. Last Word: The Grizz Are Back, Bass Pro Shops Buys Cabela's and Stein at Amurica - Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Some of you will remember the late George Lapides, whom I worked with for a time at WREC, had a policy about pre-season baseball games or what he called the “Grapefruit League.” It was that they didn’t exist. He wouldn’t acknowledge the games much less the scores.

50. Kane Discusses Bass Pro Changes, Mud Island, Convention Center - Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Bass Pro Shops may be rethinking its mix of retail and attractions at the Pyramid, says the head of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In its first year of operation, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid drew 3 million visitors.

51. Last Word: Trezevant Football and The Past, Change by Trial and Instagram - Friday, September 30, 2016

Almost a year ago Trezevant High School was the state football champion in their division – the Frayser school’s first ever football championship. And for those with long memories of the city’s colorful history of high school athletics, there was some vindication in that.

52. Bursting the Bubble - Saturday, August 27, 2016

Graceland is in Memphis. But the two have tended to coexist, rather than being part of each other, since Elvis Presley’s home opened as a commercial enterprise in 1982.

That is starting to change as a $137 million expansion of Graceland – a $92 million hotel resort opening in October and a $45 million, 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex west of the mansion to open in the spring of 2017 – begins to overlap with a renewed emphasis on Whitehaven as the home of many of the city’s middle class.

53. Game-Changer - Saturday, August 6, 2016

So as it turns out, the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June was a missed opportunity. No one in the gallery shouted, “University of Memphis – Big 12!” The tournament’s “Hush Y’all” signs were obeyed and to no good end.

54. Memphis International Raceway Readies for World Series of Drag Racing - Thursday, June 30, 2016

No one is suggesting that Memphis International Raceway will duplicate the economic impact numbers generated by the Bristol Motor Speedway. For those numbers – more than $417 million in direct economic impact from 2012 to 2014 – are otherworldly.

55. Station to Station - Saturday, May 14, 2016

Even now, Explore Bike Share founder Doug Carpenter does not try to pretend that the initiative will cure all that ails Memphis. 

It won’t wipe out poverty. It can’t cure cancer. It won’t eliminate diabetes and obesity, solve all of the city’s transportation problems or totally bridge cultural and racial gaps that predate the bicycle’s invention.

56. Frayser Truck Stop, Hotel Developers Change Plans - Saturday, May 7, 2016

Developers of a truck stop with a hotel on Hollywood at Interstate 40 in Frayser have dropped plans for the truck stop.

Representatives of the developers, Hospitality Builders of America, announced the change Tuesday, May 3, as the city council delayed a vote on the planned development on the site of the old Treasury department store.

57. Frayser Truck Stop, Hotel Developers Change Plans - Thursday, May 5, 2016

Developers of a truck stop with a hotel on Hollywood at Interstate 40 in Frayser have dropped plans for the truck stop.

Representatives of the developers, Hospitality Builders of America, announced the change Tuesday, May 3, as the city council delayed a vote on the planned development on the site of the old Treasury department store.

58. Council Approves Overton Boundary Ordinance on First Reading - Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Memphis City Council members approved an ordinance Tuesday, May 3, on the first of three readings to set boundaries in Overton Park including the use of the park Greensward.

But some council members who supported a March 1 resolution that gave the Memphis Zoo control of the greensward were much more hesitant about the ordinance two months later.

59. Memphis Attractions Touted at MCVB Tourism Party - Friday, April 29, 2016

To kick off tourism season, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau will host a tourism “Party in the Park” where more than 50 Memphis attractions will be on hand with interactive booths and giveaways. Food trucks will be selling food and there will be live music. Admission is free and open to the public. The Party in the Park will take place Tuesday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Downtown’s Court Square

60. City Ready to Develop Master Plan for Pinch District - Monday, April 4, 2016

The Pinch District, one of Memphis’ oldest neighborhoods, is getting its time in the spotlight.

The Downtown Memphis Commission, the city of Memphis Division of Housing & Community Development and the city-county Division of Planning & Development are coming together to develop the Pinch’s first master plan in to bring the area up to date with mixed-use buildings and streetscape improvements.

61. Mud Island Proposals Advance to More Scrutiny - Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The two finalists working with a Riverfront Development Corp. committee to redevelop Mud Island River Park will have their plans further reviewed by the administration of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

62. RDC Doubles Down With Two Mud Island Finalists - Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A working group of the Riverfront Development Corporation is recommending that the city and a new subcommittee of the RDC work with both of the finalists it has selected to run Mud Island River Park.

63. RVC, Mansion to Give More Specifics on Mud Island Plans - Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The CEO of RVC Outdoor Destinations of Memphis says his company is “ready to invest $10 million of our own capital that is currently available and ready to deploy.”

Andy Cates made the assurance in the company’s proposal to the Riverfront Development Corp. that was one of the two finalists picked Monday, Feb. 29, by an RDC committee.

64. Mud Island Management Search Narrows to Two - Monday, February 29, 2016

A committee reviewing proposals to manage the Mud Island River Park has narrowed the field of four contenders down to two.

The Riverfront Development Corp. working committee has narrowed the field to RVC Outdoor Destinations of Memphis and Mansion Entertainment and Media LLC.

65. Joerger to Co-Chair Feb. 18 ‘A Serving for Tennis’ - Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger and his wife, Kara Joerger, will co-chair the third annual “A Serving for Tennis” event on Friday, Feb. 18, from 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. at the Cadre Building, 149 Monroe Ave.

66. Downtown Hotel Pipeline May Deter Larger Developer - Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The proliferation of limited-size Downtown hotels could make the area less attractive for the 500-room, full-service hotel Downtown desperately needs.

That was board member Rob Norcross’ warning at the Feb. 11 meeting of the Land Use Control Board. And the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau agrees that small hotels pose a risk.

67. Grizzlies Sign KD in Free Agency, Trade Mike Conley? No, Don’t Think So - Monday, February 15, 2016

So there’s a national report out there saying the Memphis Grizzlies will make a strong play to sign free agent Kevin Durant after the season.

68. After 40 Years of Pro Tennis, Will Memphis See Another? - Friday, February 12, 2016

You can’t tell the players – or the owners – without a scorecard.

That’s the recent history of what is presently called the Memphis Open presented by ServiceMaster.

It is, specifically speaking, an ATP World Tour 250 event.

69. Bass Pro Shops Eyes Mud Island - Thursday, January 21, 2016

Mud Island’s neighbor to the east is interested in redeveloping the river park.

Bass Pro Shops is among the five companies that have submitted proposals to the Riverfront Development Corp. to oversee Mud Island River Park. And all five have advanced to a second round of the process without the RDC releasing details of the material they submitted.

70. Last Word: The Force Reawakens, Methodist Expands and Setting Up 2016 - Friday, December 18, 2015

Last Word is a new daily online column that offers an overview of what’s happened at the end of shift, so to speak. Picture a dimly lit newsroom in the Downtown night and the last person in the place leaving a memo for the morning shift and you have a pretty good idea of what we are aiming for.

71. Bass Pro Shops Draws 2 Million Visitors Since April Opening - Friday, December 18, 2015

Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid has had more than 2 million visitors since its April 29 opening, store executives announced Thursday, Dec. 17.

General manager David Hagel said the attendance count is “a lot of people in a short amount of time” and ahead of projections.

72. Airbnb Provides Options to Memphis Homeowners, Guests - Friday, September 25, 2015

It all began for Marilyn White over phone conversations with a close friend back home in Buffalo, N.Y.

73. Hotel Density Fuels Memphis Convention Center Ambitions - Tuesday, September 22, 2015

The best indicator that the national recession was lifting in Memphis was the emergence this year of numerous plans for new hotels and motels.

But aside from Whitehaven’s 450-room, $90 million Guest House at Graceland, most of the planned projects are small. And the smaller hotels do little to resolve the long-standing chicken-and-egg question about which should come first – more hotel rooms or more and better convention space.

74. Thank You, Thank You Very Much - Friday, August 14, 2015

A THANK YOU NOTE FROM A COPYWRITER TO ELVIS. Elvis was once asked what kind of music he played. “I play all kinds,” was his response.

That pretty much sums up Memphis, and Elvis was pretty much the sum up of its parts. Part gospel and part blues, part country and part soul. And all original. Part dirt poor and part flashy rich, part Mama’s boy and part nasty and naughty. And all surprising. Part glitz and glitter and part sad and tragic. And all too real. Part Mississippi and part Tennessee. And all world shaking.

75. Memphis Tourism Leaders Outline Convention Center Plans - Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The short-term plan for a $54 million upgrade and renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center through a 1.8 percent increase in the hotel bed tax could be the start of a much larger expansion of the convention center in future years.

76. Memphis Tourism Officials: Limit Hotel Tax Breaks - Tuesday, July 21, 2015

A wave of Downtown hotel plans has officials pumping the brakes on using public incentives for smaller, limited-service hotels.

With up to a dozen Downtown hotel projects in the development pipeline, the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau has asked the Downtown Memphis Commission to explore limiting incentives to large, full-service hotels.

77. Wild Side - Saturday, July 11, 2015

No chance of being attacked by a hippo, which despite its size can outrun a man and is responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other large animal.

No chance of being caught between the powerful jaws of a Nile crocodile and dragged underwater, drowned and devoured like a wildebeest in a National Geographic video.

78. Events - Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Luna Nova Ensemble will present the ninth annual Belvedere Chamber Music Festival Wednesday, June 17, through Saturday, June 20. Evening concerts are at 7:30 p.m. each night at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 1750 Peabody Ave. Afternoon concerts are Friday and Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Beethoven Club, 263 S. McLean Blvd. Admission is free. Visit lunanova.org.

79. Events - Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Memphis Blues Society and Overton Square will host a Bluesday Tuesday concert featuring Darren Jay Fallas with guest Papa Don McMinn Tuesday, June 16, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Tower Courtyard, 2101 Madison Ave. Cost is free. Visit overtonsquare.com.

80. Events - Monday, June 15, 2015

Page Robbins Adult Day Center will host a free dementia care presentation Monday, June 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Germantown Presbyterian Church, 2363 Germantown Road S. David Troxel, co-founder of the Best Friends Approach, will speak followed by a Q&A. Cost is free. Visit pagerobbins.org.

81. Audit Finds Memphis Hotels Owe $333K in ‘Bed Taxes’ - Saturday, May 30, 2015

A three-year audit by the city of Memphis has found that 22 percent of hotels and motels are behind a total of more than $333,000 in occupancy taxes.

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau President Kevin Kane said the city is probably missing out on between $750,000 and $1 million a year in “bed taxes.”

82. Audit Finds Memphis Hotels Owe $333,000 in 'Bed Taxes' - Thursday, May 28, 2015

A three-year audit by the city of Memphis has found that 22 percent of hotels and motels are behind a total of more than $333,000 in occupancy taxes.

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau President Kevin Kane said the city is probably missing out on between $750,000 and $1 million a year in “bed taxes.”

83. Tanger Outlets to Open Southaven Mall in November - Friday, March 13, 2015

What is now a field near Interstate 55 and Church Road in Southaven, Miss., soon will become an outlet-shopping destination.

The 310,000-square-foot Tanger Factory Outlets Centers Inc. shopping center should be ready for shoppers by Nov. 19, just in time for Christmas.

84. Restless Winter - Saturday, March 7, 2015

For most of its 103-year life as city property, the Mid-South Fairgrounds has been a place where Memphians remember why they came there in the past, as local leaders have periodically pushed to remake its landscape and in turn create more memories going forward.

85. Wharton: Tourism Is Serious Business - Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Sometimes in tourism, it is the little things that count. But “little” is relative. Consider the digital LED display screen on the west wall of the Memphis Cook Convention Center – big enough to be seen by eastbound traffic on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge – which local leaders debuted this month after three years of planning.

86. Wharton Administration Willing to Explore Coliseum Renovation - Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is willing to explore a renovation of the Mid-South Coliseum, but he doesn’t want to delay getting state approval for a Tourism Development Zone to finance an amateur sports tournament complex at the Mid-South Fairgrounds.

87. Fairgrounds Plan Draws Different Opinions - Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The first renderings of a recast Mid-South Fairgrounds offered years ago are just one misstep early on that continues to plague the project still in search of specific private partners.

The conceptual drawings were heavy on baseball diamonds when the idea of two mayoral administrations at City Hall was and remains more soccer fields, basketball courts and a multi-purpose sports facility along with baseball diamonds.

88. Room for Growth - Saturday, October 4, 2014

Sardor and Gulam Umarov are used to fighting battles with seemingly long odds.

Between 2005 and 2009, the brothers waged a high-profile human rights campaign against the authoritarian government in their native Uzbekistan for the release of their father, Sanjar Umarov, a Germantown businessman thrown into prison for opposing the regime.

89. Competition Calls - Friday, September 5, 2014

Economic development and the quality of jobs coming to Shelby County are the dominant issues as county elected leaders begin a new four-year term of office this month.

And there are plenty of indications the local strategy is about to change, or at least shift, in response to the resurgence in manufacturing and distribution in North Mississippi.

90. Graceland Hotel Designed by Memphis Talent - Friday, August 29, 2014

When designing a hotel that effectively expands the footprint of the most famous home in Memphis, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the design team for the project is stacked with local talent.

Memphis-based architecture firm Hnedak Bobo Group worked with Elvis Presley Enterprises for years to study and research the hotel project, which entails building a 450-room resort-style hotel called the Guest House at Graceland north of Presley’ Graceland mansion in Whitehaven.

91. Graceland Hotel Breaks Ground in Whitehaven - Friday, August 15, 2014

With a shovel from the Graceland archives, Priscilla Presley and local leaders broke ground Thursday, Aug. 14, for the 450-room resort-style hotel north of the Whitehaven mansion.

92. Commission Sets Pay of Four County Offices - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners gave final approval Monday, Jan. 13, to the ordinance that keeps the same salaries for the Shelby County property assessor, register, trustee and Shelby County clerk for the four-year term of office that begins Sept. 1.

93. ‘Intertwined’ - Saturday, October 26, 2013

In 2007, the Grizzlies were no longer a novelty in Memphis. They also were no longer a playoff team. Rather, they were a punch line lost in the expansive blue and gray shadow of the University of Memphis and a fast-talking operator/coach named John Calipari.

94. Advisory Board to Examine Community Health Needs - Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Dr. David Stern, executive dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, has launched a unique effort to address community health needs in Memphis.

“It’s my belief that a medical school has a very unique opportunity to interact with the community,” Stern said. “I consider our community to be a very important laboratory – it is an underserved, minority community that is in ill health. The biggest contribution we can make is to move the needle on overall community health and to develop new methods that we can apply to other communities like Memphis.”

95. Beale Club Reopening About Timing - Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The negotiations to reopen one of Beale Street’s busiest and most profitable nightspots were about not missing one of the busiest Downtown weekends of the year and how to handle the allegation that some employees of Club 152 either sold drugs or were complicit in drug sales in the club.

96. Talks Underway for Club 152 Reopening - Thursday, May 23, 2013

The owners of Club 152 on Beale Street and prosecutors with the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office have been talking since the club was shut down a week ago as a public nuisance.

Both sides are due back before General Sessions Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter Thursday, May 21.

97. Club 152 Hearing Delayed to Tuesday - Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A first hearing on the nuisance court order that closed Club 152 on Beale Street last week was postponed Monday, May 20, to Tuesday before General Sessions Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter.

98. Celebrating Rails - Thursday, May 9, 2013

More railroad passengers boarded and stepped off Amtrak trains at Memphis Central Station in 2012 as travelers turned to trains amid higher gas prices and improved rail reliability.

Passengers who embarked and alighted in Memphis gained 11.2 percent to 73,116 travelers in the 2012 fiscal year ended Oct. 31, compared with 65,769 passengers a year earlier.

99. Imre Named Assistant Controller at Makowsky Ringel Greenberg - Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Nancy Imre has joined Makowsky Ringel Greenberg LLC as assistant controller. Imre is responsible for the real estate management company’s accounting department, overseeing investor reporting and preparation of corporate financial statements.

100. Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association Elects 2013 Officers - Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association recently elected its slate of officers to serve in 2013, and the group now ramps up for a busy year, including the 14th annual MMHLA Lodging Industry Update on Feb. 22 at the Hilton Memphis.