St. Jude expansion to close 2 Downtown streets; new restaurant planned at Hotel Pontotoc
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Well, Tax Day is in the rearview mirror and some more notable Downtown Memphis developments are underway.
Last Mane Street I discussed some happenings at the former Commercial Appeal building, and last week I shared some more updates in the Edge District with the notable "Heartbreak" site now up for sale.
There's a lot happening over in that neighborhood right now with Rock'n Dough Pizza and Brewery recently opening at Orleans Station and nearby JEM restaurant along Madison Avenue. Not to mention, construction on the 104-unit University Lofts project continues moving along at the former Holliday Event Flowers site at 440 Monroe Ave. The historic Cycle Shop building is still seeking tenants, and plans for the $34 million Tomorrow Building would add another 108 residential units to the district (not including the proposed Rise Two expansion.)
Is the Edge District beginning to reach its potential? What else would you like to see open within that corridor? Or what would need to change for the Edge District to be a truly connective piece to the Downtown core? Let me know what your thoughts are on the new happenings there (both constructive and critical) and of course, take a peek at what else is happening around Downtown and Shelby County this week:
St. Jude campus expansion closes two Downtown streets
The $12.9 billion St. Jude Children's Research Hospital strategic plan took its next step forward on April 11. The Land Use Control Board approved a pair of street closures in conjunction with the project.
The permanent right-of-way closures will close a portion of Jackson Avenue east of North Third Street and a portion of Lauderdale Street along Alabama Avenue. A second right-of-way closure was also approved for east Danny Thomas Boulevard near Winchester Park.
The latter right-of-way closure will be used for staff parking and deliveries during construction, Sara Hall of American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) said during the meeting. ALSAC is the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude.
In January, a pair of construction permits were filed for two new buildings at the campus. Both towers are part of the ongoing multibillion dollar campus expansion. One will be a 15-story outpatient building and the other will be a three-story building. The estimated construction costs for each building are $156,997,333 and $22.8 million, respectively.
St. Jude also recently opened its $110 million Domino's Village in October 2023. The six-story, 307,000-square-foot building has 140 residential units for extended stays for families and patients.
The Dame at Hotel Pontotoc
The historic Hotel Pontotoc at 69 Pontotoc Ave. in Downtown's South Main district has a potential restaurant tenant set. The Dame, a cocktail and wine bar with tapas concept, was approved for $30,000 retail improvement grant from the Center City Development Corp., an affiliate board of the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC).
The Dame restaurant concept would occupy the basement and lower floors of the three-story Hotel Pontotoc building, which dates back to 1906.
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The grant application was filed by Joseph Lewis of The Dame LLC. Lewis and Tony Kuhn purchased the property in April in 2022 under the entity 69 Pontotoc LLC for $1.2 million, according to the Shelby County Register of Deeds. In September 2022, Lewis and Kuhn were awarded a $60,000 development grant from the Center City Development Corp., for exterior and interior improvements at the property.
The retail improvement grant was approved during the April 17 meeting for the board. The Dame will also sign a 10-year lease at the property.
Shoot 360 Memphis relocating
On April 4, Shoot 360 Memphis announced it would be relocating from its Collierville-based location to a new 50,000-square-foot facility at 1375 Big Orange Road in Cordova.
The new facility will include five full-sized basketball courts, five shooting cages, and additional amenities. The new facility plans to open this summer. Once renovations at the Cordova facility are complete, Shoot 360 Memphis will merge with Reform Sports Training, according to a news release.
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“This move demonstrates our commitment to our current members and the Memphis basketball community as a whole,” Shoot 360 Memphis co-owner said Steven McCulley said. “In addition to being centrally located, this facility is more than double the size of our current space, giving us more opportunities to provide the best equipment and training to allow our athletes to reach their full potential.”
McCulley, Preston Butts and NBA player Thaddeus Young (Young is currently playing for the Phoenix Suns) opened the 360 Shoot Memphis facility in 2021. The basketball training company was founded by Craig Moody in 2012 and operates more than 40 locations nationwide.
3 Memphis landmarks receive historic development grants
On April 15, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the recipients of its state historic development grants, which included the Lowenstein House, Sterick Building and Dermon Building in Memphis.
TNECD is providing $5.7 million toward historic preservation projects across Tennessee. The Lowenstein House, Sterick Building and Dermon Building developments each received $300,000 grants.
Shelby County grant recipients
Sterling Hedrick, LLC | $300,000 to rehabilitate the Sterick Building at 8 N. B.B. King Blvd.
The Dermon Building OZ LLC | $300,000 to rehabilitate the Dermon Building at 44-46 B.B. King Blvd.
Regents Park QOZB, LLC | $300,000 to rehabilitate the Lowenstein House at 756 Jefferson Ave.
“The Historic Development Grant program assists in preserving and revitalizing some of Tennessee’s most historic and notable buildings so that they once again have the opportunity to serve as a hub for commerce and tourism,” TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter said in a statement.
Memphis-based Constellation Properties purchased the Sterick Building in March 2023. No fixed plans for the 29-story office tower are in place yet, however, developer and owner Stuart Harris has discussed potential mixed-use for the Downtown Memphis site. In December 2023, the Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) approved a parking garage agreement in conjunction with the Sterick Building redevelopment.
The 10-story Dermon Building will be converted into a Holiday Inn Express. In September 2023, property owners and developers Dermon Building OZ, which consists of Nick Patel and Sam Patel, received a 10-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) from the DMC for the project. In February, Memphis-based cnct design filed construction permits for the 159-room hotel.
Developer Bill Townsend is redeveloping the historic Lowenstein House in the Medical District. Townsend purchased the property in October 2021 and also owns the nearby Pillow-McIntyre House and the Luciann Theatre on Summer Avenue.
Mane Street Memphis is a bi-weekly commercial real estate and economic development roundup.
Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X:@neilStrebig.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: St. Jude expansion in Memphis to close 2 streets: Here's where
