Friends for Our Riverfront

Authentic - YES!

2010-08-25T21:32:00.003-05:00

Our culture - a festival you won't want to miss. A huge thank you to the Center for Southern Folklore for all their great work!

Placemaking Meets Preservation

2010-08-20T19:01:00.004-05:00

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are working together to promote a new vision for the future (and past) of American communities.

As PPS says, "historic places often rank high on our list of Great Public Spaces, because their human-scale qualities create vibrant, people-friendly settings. The mission of the National Trust shares a deep resonance with the principles of placemaking: to bring people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them.”

For PPS Placemaking Memphis report, click HERE.

It's Not a Beach Book

2010-08-16T16:43:00.009-05:00

But it's probably the closest that a history of historic preservation could come.

A fascinating read, Anthony M. Tung's "Preserving the World's Great Cities" tells the global story of cities and the events and people that made or destroyed parts of them.

It is the story of 20 cities: of Rome that has "twice been the center of the universe"; of Warsaw where citizens defied the Nazis to painstakingly rebuild their past; of Beijing, Cairo, ... - the story of the need to balance growth and the allure of a better future with the cultural and historic continuum.

As author Anthony M. Tung, who served on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission from 1979 to 1988, points out, "90 to 95% of the built world was constructed in the past 100 years. For the most part, we never really needed to destroy the beauty of the past in order to achieve this."

"In our minds, historic center cities seem larger that they actually are, perhaps because their beauty fills our mind with memorable architectural images as in Beijing, Venice, Paris, Jerusalem, Amsterdam. Why tear them down? We are erasing the cultural diversity of human history. The challenge is: How to build in confluence with the beauty we have inherited?"

Memphis is not mentioned by Tung's "Preserving the World's Great Cities," but what an opportunity our historic neighborhoods, buildings, and public spaces give us to become one.

Click HERE for an interview with Tung in "Architectural Record".

A Sense of Place - A City of Choice

2010-08-16T14:00:00.009-05:00

Ultimately quality of life will be determined by five senses: the sense of place, the sense of evolution, the sense of ownership, the sense of identity and the sense of community itself.

Donovan Rypkema, economic development and preservation consultant

How we treat our riverfront - it's past, present, and future - is important.

Is preservation a “green” issue?

2010-08-15T11:55:00.006-05:00

Click HERE for an excellent article by Wayne Curtis that debunks some myths.

And YES as Memphis Heritage bumper stickers proclaim, “The greenest building is the one that’s already built.”

Does historic preservation make economic sense?

2010-08-15T11:50:00.001-05:00

A self-proclaimed history nerd says YES and gives some good reasons.

So much to Love about Downtown Memphis

2010-08-14T10:35:00.003-05:00

And a jog along the riverfront's Bluffwalk is one of them. Thank you, Chickasaw Bluff Conservancy!

T. O. Fuller State Park - One of Memphis’s Best Kept Secrets

2010-08-01T18:47:00.007-05:00

T. O. Fuller State Park is off the beaten path, but the 1,138 wooded acres are within the city limits and only 10 minutes from Graceland and 20 minutes from Beale Street.

The park was the 1st State Park east of the MS River and the 2nd in the nation that was open to African-Americans. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937, its construction was part of President F. D. Roosevelt’s efforts during the Great Depression to create jobs that fostered park and forest conservation and provided social services to people across America. Built on land purchased from Dover Barrett, the park was originally known as Shelby Bluffs. In 1942 its name was changed to T. O. Fuller State Park in honor of Dr. Thomas O. Fuller who spent his life empowering and educating African-Americans.

A good time for a visit - Saturday, August 7, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Friends of Fuller State Park is sponsoring Fuller Fest 2010, an afternoon full of family activities, including a golf tournament, gospel concert, and antique/classic car show. The swimming pool will be open with certified lifeguards. For more info., call 543-6041.

Q: Who changes the numbers on this sign?

2010-07-31T17:45:00.005-05:00

An e-mailer spotted this photo by Michelle Clayborne on the blog http://www.memphistanista.com/ and wanted to know more.

A: The sign, on the Bluffwalk just N. of Vance, shows the water level of the Mississippi River at Memphis. The Corps of Engineers provides the information and hires someone to post the levels for boaters. Daily river levels also are posted in the "Commercial Appeal" on the weather map page, a reminder that the Mississippi is the most important river in N. America and a transportation artery for inland America.

Check-out http://www.memphistanista.com/for more great photos of Memphis. And if you have information to share or questions about the riverfront, e-mail us at info@friendsforourriverfront.org, and we'll try to get an answer for you.

Is Memphis Drinking Water in Danger?

2010-07-31T17:12:00.006-05:00

Proposed projects in Fayette County are being reviewed by the TN Dept. of Transportation (TDOT) and the TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Public meetings to learn more and participate in the decision are scheduled at Collierville Town Hall, 500 Poplar View Parkway:
Aug. 2 (Mon.), TDOT meeting, 5 pm
Aug. 3 (Tues.), TDEC meeting, 6 pm

Ground Water Protection: Chickasaw Group, Tennessee Sierra Club Position
By Nancy Brannon, Ph.D.
Environmental Sociologist

Introduction:
It has been brought to the attention of the Executive Committee of the Chickasaw Group of Tennessee Sierra Club that some new developments are being considered that are potential threats to the region’s drinking water source. That source is the multi-layered aquifer system known as the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer System. Of particular interest to Memphis, TN, west Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas are the Memphis Sands aquifer, primary source of drinking water, and the surficial aquifer(s) that overlie the Memphis Sand. The surficial aquifer(s) are a source of drinking water in some rural areas, a source of irrigation water, and a potential conduit for surface contaminants to the deeper aquifers.

Reasons for Concern:
Research at the Ground Water Institute at the University of Memphis and the U.S. Geological Survey has identified potential threats to the region’s drinking water source, the Memphis Sands aquifer. These threats could affect both the quality and quantity of the water. They are:
(1) Places where the confining/ protective clay layer over the primary drinking water aquifer is not contiguous; where there are “breaches.” To what extent do breaches in the clay layer exacerbate the potential for contamination? One highly documented case is a breach in the clay layer at Shelby Farms east of Memphis, TN where a former landfill is leaking leachate into the Memphis Sands aquifer. This and other breaches in Memphis/ Shelby County area allow for any toxic substances from the land surface or underground (such as underground storage tanks and landfills) to quickly reach the drinking water aquifer.
(2) As development moves into the recharge area, the potential to adversely affect sustainability of the aquifer and water quality exists. In recharge areas, the Memphis Sands aquifer is near or at the surface and is directly affected by land surface activities. Surface activities that adversely affect the aquifer are paving over or otherwise making impermeable the land surface, which impairs recharge and decreases water quantity; and any activities that have/ use toxic substances or water pollutants pose contamination threats and harm water quality.
(3) The influence of surface water on ground-water quantity and quality. In places where there are breaches and in recharge areas, surface water and ground water are/ can be in direct contact. So any pollutants in surface waters can quickly reach the drinking water aquifer source.

Potential Threats:
Two currently proposed land uses which can impair ground water quantity and quality are: (1) an extension of Walnut Grove Rd. at Shelby Farms, a roadway that will be built directly over the breach in the clay layer. This creates another potential source of contaminants to the Memphis Sands aquifer from roadway runoff that includes but is not limited to oil and petroleum products. (2) A 500+ acre intermodal facility on the former Twin Hill Ranch in Fayette County, TN. The site sits directly on an outcrop of the Memphis Sands aquifer. The paving over and making impervious the land surface will inhibit rainfall recharge to the aquifer and will dramatically alter surface water drainage. The truck and train traffic, plus contents of containers, pose potential contamination sources that would directly reach the Memphis Sands aquifer.

Remedies:
Policies for sustainable use of the ground water must include (1) recharge protection areas and (2) breach protection areas.
Aquifer recharge protection areas would be designated areas (or zoning boundaries) where the Memphis Sands aquifer outcrops or is near the surface, and is uncovered by the protective clay layer. These recharge areas for the Memphis Sands aquifer have been delineated by research at the Ground Water Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey. In these areas there must be careful consideration of all land uses, with a full Environmental Impact Statement that evaluates all the potential threats to both quality and quantity of the ground water. No land uses that could pose a threat to quality or quantity of ground water should be allowed in these areas.
The breach protection areas would be modeled after the existing wellhead protection areas: a designated area within whose boundaries no potential sources of contamination could be located.
The Chickasaw Group of the Tennessee Chapter Sierra Club recognizes that the Mississippi Embayment Aquifer system, the region’s source of drinking water, is our most valuable natural resource asset. This plentiful source of high quality water has served the region for over 100 years. For the water source to be sustainable, and the region remain viable, careful conservation of the resource is absolutely necessary. Conservation means balancing withdrawal with recharge, and refraining from locating any potential harmful land uses in areas that will directly affect the quality and quantity of ground water.

For an overview and illustrations on water quality issues in Memphis area, click TN Water Sentinels.

Memphis Preservation Plan being Updated

2010-07-30T11:15:00.009-05:00

There’s an update underway for the 1997 Memphis Preservation Plan. More than 40 volunteers are doing the legwork and taking the plan to neighborhoods for their input.

Part of the Plan is to have a new online database of historic and culturally significant properties. As Nancy Jane Baker, manager of the Memphis Landmarks Commission, said, this is an informational tool to define what places and buildings are important to the community, and we want citizens to tell us about places in their neighborhoods that should be included.

Making Memphis a better and more livable city is the over-arching goal. As Mayor Wharton said, “It is our distinctive assets, the culture and character authentic to Memphis, that are the basis of our competitive advantage.”

Neighborhood Meeting dates, times, locations:
Time for all meetings: 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

* July 15 (Thurs.) Glenview/Mallory, Glenview Com. Cntr., 1141 S. Barksdale
* July 20 (Tues.) North Memphis, Kate Sexton Com. Cntr., 1235 Brown
* July 22 (Thurs.) Cordova, Bert Ferguson Com. Cntr., 8505 Trinity
* July 26 (Thurs.) Park/Mt. Moriah, Marion Hale Com. Cntr., 4791 Willow
* Aug. 2 (Mon.) Poplar/White Station, White Sta. Library, 5094 Poplar
* Aug. 10 (Tues.) Poplar/Highland, St. Luke's U. Meth. Church, 480 S. Highland
* Aug. 17 (Tues.) Airport/Hickory Hill/SE, McFarland Com. Cntr., 4955 Cottonwood
* Aug. 19 (Thurs.) SW/Whitehaven, Whitehaven Library, 4120 Millbranch
* Aug. 26 (Thurs.) Bartlett, Bartlett Library, 6382 Stage
* Sept. 13 (Mon.) Berclair, Randolph Library, 3752 Given
* Sept. 23 (Thurs.) Downtown/Medical, St. Mary's Epis. Cathedral, 700 Poplar
* Sept. 30 (Thurs.) S. Memphis, St. Andrew A.M.E. Church, 867 S. Parkway E.
* Oct. 5 (Tues.) Frayser, Ed Rice Com. Cntr., 2907 N. Watkins
* Oct. 12 (Tues.) Orange Mound, Orange Mound Com. Cntr., 2572 Park
* Oct. 21 (Thurs.) Cooper-Young, C-Y Com. Cntr, 2298 Young
* Oct. 26 (Tues.) Midtown, Mphs. Leadership Fdn., 1548 Poplar

Additional neighborhood meetings are being scheduled. For information or to schedule one in your neighborhood, call Nancy Jane Baker at 576-7170.

Neighborhood meetings are being hosted by Livable Memphis.

To read about the meeting held in Cordova, click HERE.

Summertime Thoughts - McKellar Lake

2010-07-29T22:58:00.020-05:00

With Memphis temperatures hitting the 100s, thoughts turn to McKellar Lake in its 1950s and '60s heyday.

The lake, on the western edge of Martin Luther King Riverside Park, was the result of a $17M Corps of Engineers project begun in 1948 to expand Memphis as an industrial port. President's Island was connected to the mainland by an earthen dam closing the TN Shute, a deep-water harbor (McKellar Lake) dredged on the dam's down-river side, and a channel cut to the Mississippi River on the south.Click map to enlarge.

Dignitaries, including Senator McKellar, were on-hand in 1955 for dedication festivities, as seen in this photo from the "Commercial Appeal" Mid-South Memories.

and, in its heyday, during the 1950s and '60s, McKellar Lake was filled with for motor boats, water skiing, parasailing, and even a sailing school.

Thanks, to Ask Vance, here are photos of Miss McKellar Lake contestants in 1964 and 1973.

No photos found, but in 1960 the Commercial Appeal reported,

Sailboats skimmed across Riverside Lake yesterday for the first time, hardly ruffling the feathers of the hordes of white ducks that have long held a monopoly on the lake’s surface. The occasion was the inauguration of a new Red Cross course for young Memphians with “skipper” aspirations. Sixteen young would-be yachtsmen marined the sleed, white-sailed, 11-foot boats. The class is limited to youngsters from 12 to 16 years old who have attained intermediate swimmer’s rank. Riverside Lake is in the south end of the park bearing the same name.

Neither MLK Riverside Park nor McKellar Lake are as popular today, perhaps because of the success of the industrial port, and perhaps because the southern loop of I-240 made access to the beautiful park more difficult.

The 379-acre MLK/Riverside Park was part of Memphis's first emerald necklace, our parkway system designed in 1902 by George Kessler.

The Memphis Port is the 4th largest inland port in the U. S. with 95% of the port's industries located on President's Island.

Can High Line be Model for Memphis Public Promenade?

2010-07-29T22:47:00.005-05:00

The High Line is NYC's great new promenade - an elevated rail line once slated for demolition but now creatively reimagined as public space. It has become a catalyst for redevelopment.

In an interview, landscape architect James Corner, who through his American arm Field Operations brought the project to fruition, sees the High Line as a model for other cities.

"High quality design of public spaces isn't something that comes after the fact, but is something we invest in now in order to spur significant economic development and to ensure a high quality of urban life."

Click HERE for the video.

Bike Lane Decision for a More Livable Memphis

2010-07-16T20:18:00.009-05:00

A commitment to 55 miles of bike lanes within the next 24 months and hiring "our region’s first Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, who will be responsible for expanding on these plans to connect even more parts of the greater Memphis area with walking and biking paths." From Mayor Wharton - a big step toward a better, more livable Memphis!

"Even though bike lanes were regrettably omitted from the city’s recent stimulus fund application, I have directed our City Engineers to make any necessary adjustments to their operating budget plans so we can get these lanes and facilities in place." Click HERE to read Mayor Wharton's full statement.

With thanks to Brad Christian, Here's a map that shows where they will be.

View Proposed Memphis Bike Lanes in a larger map

Ideas from Atlanta for Center City Commission Luncheon

2010-07-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

Shirley Franklin, the 1st African-American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Center City Commission luncheon. Ms. Franklin served as mayor of Atlanta from 2002 to earlier this year and is credited, among other accomplishments, with the development of Atlanta's park and trail system, an anti-homeless initiative, and major repairs to the city’s ailing sewer system.

Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Peabody Hotel Grand Ballroom
11:30 am - 1:15 pm
Cost: $65. Click HERE for more info. and to make reservations.

Endangered Terns Find Unusual Memphis Home

2010-07-14T18:43:00.006-05:00

TVA’s Allen Fossil Plant is a spot on the riverfront most Memphians don’t visit, but interior least terns have made it their home this year. David Thorpe, TVA’s environmental program administrator, and Doug Keeling, manager of the Allen plant, have been watching over the nests. Click on map to enlarge.

Tom Charlier reported on the unusual situation for the Commercial Appeal. Click HERE for the story.

Get the Facts & Add your Suggestions - Charter Commission Public Meetings

2010-07-08T03:07:00.004-05:00

The proposed charter for a new metro government for Memphis and Shelby County includes setting up a department of Public Amenities, Conservation & Betterment to manage countywide parks, recreation, and amenities like the Zoo and Brooks Art Museum and a combined Planning and Community Development Department to focus on neighborhoods, sustainability, and smart growth.

Public meetings are scheduled for citizen input:

* Thursday, July 8: Memphis Botanic Gardens, 5:30-7
* Thurs., July 15: Southwind High School (7900 E. Shelby Dr.), 5:30-7
* Tues., July 20: Methodist South Hospital Auditorium (1300 Wesley Dr, Whitehaven), 6 pm
* Wed., July 21: Harrell Theatre (440 W. Powell Rd., Collierville), 6 pm
* Thurs., July 22: Ed Rice Community Center, (2907 N. Watkins Str.), 5:30-7

The charter must be completed and filed with the Election Commission in August for a Nov. 2 vote.

Pyramid/Bass Pro/Pinch Gateway Project

2010-07-08T02:28:00.015-05:00

Bass Pro signed a 55-year lease for the Pyramid on June 30 which will commit the City to providing $60M for the project. The lease agreement is available online HERE.

Details about the project and its "swamp" theme were presented to the City Council this week. Click for news coverage by Commercial Appeal , Daily News, and Downtown Neighborhood Association Newsletter.

“We’re at a point where it appears to be that … we’re resolved that we are going to do this,” Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. said at the end of the Council meeting.

Here are concept drawings that show the Pyramid/Bass Pro conversion and redevelopment of the Pinch area.Click on images to enlarge.

Before the 1st Bridge at Memphis

2010-07-08T02:16:00.003-05:00

Before the Frisco Bridge spanned the Mississippi at Memphis, rail cars were ferried across the river. A friend sent this photo of where he believes the cars were loaded and unloaded.

125 years ago, 1885 -
From the Commercial Appeal “Mid-South Memories"

A ferry boat is shortly to start running from West Memphis across to Beale and touching at the foot of Jackson. The 50-cent fare will be well worth the price to railroad passengers coming to Memphis on the Kansas City line since they will be able to get to Memphis via the ferryboat much sooner than if they wait for the transfer.

Hands Across Sands on our Riverfront

2010-06-27T20:02:00.008-05:00

Memphians braved the noon heat Saturday, to join hands along the Mississippi River in a call for clean energy and conservation of our natural resources. Locally sponsored by the Sierra Club - Chickasaw Group, it was part of the nationwide Hands Across Sands .

Eminent Domain - 5 Years After Kelo

2010-06-24T10:55:00.009-05:00

A nationwide backlash against the use of eminent domain followed the U. S. Supreme Court's Kelo decision. Since then a majority of state legislatures have acted to limit its use, but what's happened in New London, CT where eminent domain was seen as an economic panacea and Suzette Kelo and her neighbors fought to protect their homes?

What does this have to do with the Memphis riverfront?

When cities around the country were buying land to create beautiful waterfront parks to help revitalize their downtowns, Memphis was considering eminent domain as a tool to break the conservation easement that protects our blufftop. This plan for private commercial development of the Public Promenade was adopted by the City Council in 2004 and is still the plan of record. It's time to officially remove the plan and to envision a riverfront connected by parks and greenways to public institutions, cultural and recreational resources, and the residences, shops, and restaurants downtown.

Fort Pickering Sat Here

2010-06-21T12:38:00.007-05:00

Fort Pickering once sat here, actually the 2nd Ft. Pickering sat here.

Today an abandoned motel sits on part of the land once fortified. Dave Darnell’s photo essay in Sunday’s Commercial Appeal shows the eyesore greeting driver's entering TN via the 1949 Memphis & Arkansas Bridge.

Built as a strategic command point for the Union army during the American Civil War, Fort Pickering stretched nearly 2 miles along the south Memphis bluffs. According to archaeologist Guy Weaver, it probably extended north to Beale Street. Outfitted with 55 guns, the fort included structures needed to serve the large number of troops living in and passing through, including a hospital, rail depot, water works and a saw mill. The fort was decommissioned and demolished in 1866.

Excavation and survey of the site was done by Weavers & Associates. Click HERE for more information and photos.

FfOR’s Lisa Snowden Receives Conservation and Community Leadership Award

2010-06-16T11:36:00.002-05:00

Congratulations, Lisa!! Thank you for your advocacy in our community for good public spaces, clean water, and sustainable development!!

This year the Garden Club of America’s Zone IX prestigious Improvement Award was presented to Friends for Our Riverfront (FfOR) board member, Lisa Snowden, for her significant contribution to conservation in Memphis.

Lisa has served as president of Memphis Botanic Garden, president of Little Garden Club, member of the board of FfOR, and a leading force in the design of our city’s recently opened $5M children’s garden, My Big Backyard. She has shared her knowledge about national trends in good public space and park design and through her commitment and creativity has been actively involved in bringing to Memphis such noted authorities as Charleston, SC Mayor Joseph Riley, The Conservation Fund Chairman Charles Jordan, and the Project for Public Spaces.

City bets on 3 Big Projects

2010-06-15T18:42:00.008-05:00

Pyramid/Bass Pro, Fairgrounds, Beale Street Landing

Click HERE for coverage by Bill Dries for Memphis Daily News.

From Milan - an experiment for Cobblestone Landing?

2010-06-15T18:31:00.003-05:00

With stones, fabric, and light Japanese architect Kengo Kumo created a magical zen landscape in a historic quadrangle for Milan Design Week. Memphis has the zen place and the stones. What about an experimental, temporary, art light-up on our Cobblestone Landing?