(Center City Development Corp.) 

A new non-profit museum geared towards automotive history and preservation could be coming to the Medical District.

Located at 645 Marshall Avenue, The Edge Motor Museum is a part of a $1.4 million renovation project in the Edge neighborhood by Richard Vining, who also owns Vining Legacy Management, a bill pay service specializing in assisting seniors and widows.

In order to help with the with the restoration of the 1920s-era façade, Vining, doing business as 645 Marshall Ave LLC, is seeking up to $60,000 in Exterior Improvement Grants from the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Center City Development Corp.

Since the site is less than 700 feet west of Sun Studio in the Memphis Medical District, The Edge Motor Museum hopes to build on recent success of other small-scale urban infill projects in the area such as the Edge Alley and The Marshall.

“With an initial offering of vehicles on loan with the museum valued at approximately $975,000, the exhibits contained within the Edge Motor Museum are not only expected to attract visitors on their own, but also serve as a complementary attraction to the visitors of Sun Studio – many of whom are already interested in 1950’s-1970’s culture,” the application reads in part.

According to the DMC staff report, the project is a “natural fit” as the surrounding area was once known as Auto-Row and was home to several car dealerships and assembly facilities dating back to the 1920’s.

While Montgomery Martin Contractors will be in charge of construction, all of the funds from the DMC’s EIG would be handled by C Foster Construction, a certified minority business enterprise.

Once approved, the construction process is expected take approximately four months until completion.