$9.5 Million Permit Filed for New Downtown Hotel

GCG Hospitality Inc. has pulled a $9.5 million building permit for the one-acre site at 310 Union Ave. it purchased in January.

The company plans to build a four-story, suburban-style LaQuinta Inn & Suites with 104 guest rooms.

The site, situated at Union and Danny Thomas Boulevard, was formerly home to a New York Suit Exchange store. It sits at the entrance to the Downtown core, one block east of AutoZone Park. The Shelby County Assessor of Property’s 2015 tax appraisal value is $856,100.

The owner of the company, Gopal Govan, also owns the Quality Inn Hotel at 42 S. Camilla St. and the vacant Wonder Bread/Hostess retail store at 341 Monroe Ave.

– Wendy Greenlaw, Chandler Reports

One Beale Clears Last Government Hurdle

The $160 million One Beale twin tower development cleared its last local government hurdle Tuesday, Aug. 4, with a council vote approving the project at Beale Street and Riverside Drive.

In other action Tuesday, the council gave final approval to a redistricting plan that takes into account the annexations of south Cordova and the Wyndike/Southwind area since the 2011 city elections.

The shift of four precincts out of council District 2 comes after the filing deadline for the 13 city races on the October ballot. It is not believed to have affected any candidates in those races.

The council approved on the second of three readings the ordinance calling for the move of the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue in Health Sciences Park.

In other planning and development items, the council approved a Subaru auto dealership at Misty Meadows Lane and Hacks Cross Road.

The council also delayed a vote on a used-car lot at 3297 Summer Ave., where the Cottage restaurant currently stands, for a new design of the building that goes with the car lot.

– Bill Dries

Huey’s CEO Tapped As Restaurateur of the Year

Huey’s Restaurant president and CEO Lauren McHugh Robinson is the 2015 Tennessee Restaurateur of the Year.

The Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association presented her with the honor at its annual awards banquet Tuesday, Aug. 4, after choosing her based on factors like her industry knowledge and experience and involvement in the Memphis community, among other things.

According to the industry association, the honor is “the pinnacle of industry achievement.” Honorees are nominated by their peers, and each year’s nominees and winners are chosen by a panel of previous winners.

Robinson got started in the restaurant industry at a young age, with her father Thomas Boggs, working at Huey’s Midtown. She worked over the years both in the kitchen and as a server. She became CEO of the company in 2008.

In addition to Huey’s, she’s also the president and managing partner of Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House, as well as a partner in The Half Shell and Tsunami.

– Andy Meek

ZeroTo510 Wins Award From Small Business Administration

Memphis’ medical device accelerator ZeroTo510 was one of the 80 winners this week in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition.

Each winning organization will get a cash prize of $50,000 from the SBA. In accepting the funds, the accelerators also will be committing to quarterly reporting for one year. They will be required to report metrics such as jobs created, funds raised, startups launched and corporate sponsors obtained.

Applications were judged by more than 40 experts with entrepreneurial, investment, startup, economic development, capital formation and academic backgrounds from both the public and private sector.

– Andy Meek

Memphis Picked to Win AAC West Division

In a poll of media members who cover the American Athletic Conference, the University of Memphis football team was picked to edge out both Houston and Navy to win the American Athletic Conference West Division.

The Tigers were picked to finish second overall to Cincinnati, which was an overwhelming favorite to win the league and its East Division title.

The American Athletic Conference released the media polls on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the American Kickoff and Media Days taking place in Newport, R.I.

Memphis will play host to Cincinnati in a Thursday night game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Sept. 24. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Tickets for the Cincinnati game as well as Memphis’ other five home games went on sale online and through the athletic ticket office on Monday.

Memphis picked up just four more points than Houston, which was selected to finish second in the West, and five points more than Navy, which was picked third. Memphis received 13 first-place votes, Houston had 10 and Navy received seven.

Memphis, which is coming off a 10-win season, opens preseason camp Thursday afternoon, Aug. 6. The Tigers play host to Missouri State in the season opener on Sept. 5 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

– Don Wade

Crosstown Art Exhibit to Spotlight Social Justice Issues

Just City is seeking submissions for #SeeJustice, an art exhibition to be held Sept. 25-26 at Co-Motion Studio in the Crosstown neighborhood.

The two-day, multimedia art exhibition will include visual and performance art.

Goals for the exhibit are to spotlight social justice issues relevant in Memphis to a wider audience in artistic fashion. Key exhibit themes are indigent defense, criminal justice reform, social justice, marginalized voices and teen voices.

The exhibition is open to all students as well as amateur and professional artists. Visual art (including photography), short film, dance, spoken word and music will be considered. The deadline to submit art is Monday, Aug. 10, and those selected will be notified by Aug. 24. Selected artists will be paid a stipend for their contribution.

Artists interested in exhibiting or who have other questions should contact show curator Elle Perry at seejustice@justcity.org.

Just City was founded earlier this year to advocate for due process issues in the local criminal justice system and to promote solutions to the issues of mass incarceration outside the criminal justice system.

– Don Wade

Survey: US Businesses Added 185,000 Workers in July

The rate of hiring by U.S. businesses slowed in July, according to a private survey. But job gains remained at a solid level, which should help boost overall economic growth.

Payroll processor ADP said Thursday that companies added 185,000 jobs last month, down from 229,000 in June.

The government will issue its official jobs report for July on Friday, which provides a fuller look at the economy than the ADP survey. Economists forecast the government report will show that employers added 225,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held at 5.3 percent for the second straight month.

– The Associated Press