Your average Memphian drinks more beer than a Bavarian, would just as soon bike as drive a car, attends live theater weekly if not nightly, and is absolutely mad about art shows and indoor or outdoor concerts.
At least that’s what you would think if you’re keeping up with the news lately. This year alone, Hyde Lake at Shelby Farms Park, the expanded Greenline, and the Big River Crossing bike and pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi River will open; Ballet Memphis broke ground for its new headquarters taking up an entire block at Overton Square; Wiseacre Brewing was given the green light from the Memphis City Council for a $12 million “beer-anchored redevelopment” of the Coliseum; Elvis Presley Enterprises got to work on a five-fold expansion including a 500-seat “Graceland Soundstage,” and Crosstown Arts unveiled plans for an $11 million theater with 450 seats.
Cultural explosion? Fitness revolution? Or too much of a good thing?
I think the latter. A Memphian for 35 years, I would like to see all of these things succeed, but realistically I don’t see how they possibly can. There is too much duplication of things we already have — some of them barely a year old — for a city that isn’t growing quickly from within and has an outdated convention center, limited first-class hotel rooms, and an under-served airport to attract visitors.
Really now, a “beer-anchored redevelopment” (BAR?) of a Fairgrounds white elephant? Craft beer is as common as bottled water or canned Coke these days. Every college town or trendy restaurant got on board years ago, as did Kroger and Walmart and your neighborhood convenience store. Brew Fest at AutoZone Park has been an annual event for years. Tiger Lane, remember, was built as an outdoor party spot at the Fairgrounds for around $15 million. And, not that it’s a mark of progress, but you can now buy $7 beer at some movie theaters. Want to drink like a rebel? Buy a $2 PBR at a bar.
Looking for something more refined? “Where else can you sip a cold beverage, relax, and listen to some of the hottest touring artists in the world?” asks a marketing piece for the 15-year-old Live at the Garden concert series at Memphis Botanic Garden.
Answer: Lots of places. The Levitt Shell in Overton Park, Beale Street, Soulsville USA, Music Fest, Mud Island Amphitheater, and Snowden Grove to name a few. If you’d rather be indoors, at Minglewood Hall, FedExForum, The Orpheum, Germantown Performing Arts Center, and small clubs in Cooper-Young and Overton Square.
The term “arts district” has been so overused as an attempt at branding to attract the vaunted millennials and the creative class that it risks becoming meaningless. The Broad Avenue Arts District and Water Tower Pavilion, Crosstown Arts at the old Sears building, and “Historically Hip” Cooper-Young are all within a few miles of each other in Midtown, and not far from the South Main Arts District downtown.
The Overton Square Theatre Arts District seems to have dropped the “Arts” from its name, and wisely so, given the competition. Promoters and developers of the Square will have their hands full, if not their stages, with the relatively recent addition of Playhouse on the Square and Hattiloo Theatre and, coming soon, Ballet Memphis. And still not a decent hotel or motel nearby.
Speaking of theatre, The Orpheum is still in business, with the new Halloran Centre next door.
Not far away, the National Civil Rights Museum has undergone a major expansion. The Memphis Zoo is now, as everyone who has followed the Greensward issue knows. Nor are Rhodes College, the University of Memphis, and Christian Brothers University standing pat on cultural outreach.
Each of these worthies would like to become a staple of the Memphis experience for locals and visitors alike. No one wants to repeat the painful experience of Mud Island River Park as a one-and-done visit. They want dues-paying members, repeat customers, followers, patrons, Facebook friends. They want to be catalysts for additional development. They want to stay ahead of the curve. They want to be special. They want to be one of a kind. They want to fill their seats and spaces.
Let’s hope they can.
