Beale Street Landing - what, where, why, who, ... Do we need it? Can we afford it?
* Original article posted July 2006.
* Corrections and updates (in red) added Nov. 2008.
* Since then, project cost has gone up to more than $37M and overnight riverboats have gone out of business (4/9/2010).
* For other articles and links to more info. on BSL - click HERE.
Work is scheduled to begin soon on a retaining wall that will allow construction of Beale Street Landing.
A recent article in the "Flyer" and an editorial in the “Commercial Appeal,” raised some serious questions and suggested Memphians take a closer look at the project before we spend $29.3million dollars on something we may no longer need or be able to afford.
Here is a "who, what, where" kind of look at the project.
Where will it be?
Beale Street Landing will be built on the west side (or river side) of Riverside Drive, at the level of Tom Lee Park, and will stretch approximately from Beale Street south to the bluff steps at Vance Ave. It will cover a section of the original cobblestones that are now buried by debris, the northern end of Tom Lee Park, a small wetland area, and new land that will be created by landfill. This space is not part of the dedicated Public Promenade, which is on the Bluff north of Union Ave.
View of BSL from Mud Island. Click on images to enlarge |
What is it?
Labels: Beale-Street-Landing