Memphis in May events cause more than $1.4 million in damage to Tom Lee Park

Bob Mehr, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Updated ·2 min read

Memphis in May caused more than $1.4 million in damages during its use of Tom Lee Park for its annual festival, according to an official with Memphis River Parks Partnership.

On Thursday, Carol Coletta, president of the partnership which manages the park, said damages totaled $1,425,000.

Memphis in May had previously put down a $250,000 damage deposit for the use of Tom Lee Park, with the City of Memphis pledging an additional $500,000 to cover any damage costs. That leaves roughly $675,000 that Memphis in May is still responsible for.

A third-party arbiter’s ruling on damages was formalized Aug. 2, and Memphis in May has 10 days from that date to pay the remainder to the Memphis River Parks Partnership.

On Thursday, Memphis in May said officials were out of the office until Monday and would comment then.

A riverboat treads the Mississippi River as attendees walk toward BBQ Alley on May 18, 2023, during the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
A riverboat treads the Mississippi River as attendees walk toward BBQ Alley on May 18, 2023, during the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.

This spring, Memphis River Parks Partnership conducted walk-throughs of Tom Lee before, during and after each portion of Memphis in May, photographing and assessing the ongoing damages to the park, which is nearing the end of a $61 million redevelopment.

In a previous interview with The Commercial Appeal, Coletta described the damages to Tom Lee as “considerable,” noting the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest had a greater impact on the park than Beale Street Music Festival.

Memphis River Parks Partnership officials declined to provide details on specific damages to The Commercial Appeal on Thursday.

Previously, Coletta said Memphis River Parks Partnership had already been working to repair the park and expects to be able to complete the needed restoration work, as well as remaining construction on Tom Lee, in time for the park's official opening over Labor Day weekend.

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“We very much intend to go through with our grand opening as planned,” Coletta said. “We don’t feel any doubt that we will have the park ready in time for that.”

Memphis in May’s return to Tom Lee came after a long and rancorous battle with the Memphis River Parks Partnership. The two sides had fought over the amount of a pre-festival damage deposit. Memphis in May had also sought, and ultimately failed, to put a cap on its liability for damages to the park.

Ongoing construction work on the park was halted in April to allow Memphis in May’s signature events to be staged there.

Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest both relocated to the Fairgrounds at Liberty Park last year due to the ongoing construction at Tom Lee.

Memphis in May typically presents its annual recap event in August. Last year, Memphis in May reported the largest economic loss in its six-decade history, $2.237 million for fiscal year 2022.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How much damage did Memphis in May cause to Tom Lee Park?