Economic Development

Habitat for Humanity and Germantown church build 45th home

Germantown United Methodist Church and Habitat for Humanity are enjoying a fruitful, longstanding partnership that has resulted in the construction of 45 homes for families over the past 32 years.

Latest in Economic Development
Agricenter ShowPlace Arena ready for modern-day makeover

Renovations will get underway by the end of the year on three projects at the Agricenter ShowPlace Arena, marking the first improvements to the facility since it was built in the 1980s.

An artist rendering shows the renovated building's office space with apartments in back.
Archimania moving headquarters to new mixed-use development in Cooper-Young area

A former workers union building in Midtown will be repurposed as office space and apartments. 

Memphis Theological Seminary building new chapel in Midtown

The idea for a new chapel at the Memphis Theological Seminary’s (MTS) historic Midtown campus at 168 East Parkway South came about eight years ago when the late Dr. Ralph Hamilton and his wife, Barbara, visited the campus. Upon seeing the current chapel, which is on the second floor of the Beaux Arts mansion in a converted ballroom, Mrs. Hamilton commented that all seminaries should have a freestanding chapel.

Rhodes College unveils cutting-edge science facilities

Students at Rhodes College can now enjoy state-of-the-art 21st century facilities for biology and chemistry research with the opening of the new $34 million, 54,674-square-foot Robertson Hall on the historic campus. A recent grand opening ceremony also included the debut of the newly renovated Briggs Hall and the Bill & Carole Troutt Quadrangle.

Over 400 students at LaRose Elementary school attended a short presentation before receiving backpacks filled with school supplies and materials for their parents.
Booker T. Washington’s new resource center provides an information hub for South City

Housed in the lower level of the school, the center includes eight desktop computers and nine laptop computers with internet access.

Empty Downtown building to be repurposed as boutique hotel

After seeing two of its hotel projects stall for many years due to the Great Recession, Mississippi-based JVD Enterprises and Vibrant Hotels Inc. President Vince Vaghela is thrilled with the upturn in the local economy over the past several years. His development company now has two hotel projects in various stages of development, with one to be completed next spring and another on the way by early 2019.

Industry leaders encourage students to pursue careers in manufacturing

For the fourth straight year, the Greater Memphis Chamber, the Workforce Investment Network, the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce, students from local high schools and area manufacturing companies will celebrate National Manufacturing Day with tours designed to get the students excited about possible careers in the industry.

Porter-Leath opens Early Childhood Support Center, merges with Books from Birth

With the mission of assisting at-risk children and families of Shelby County, Porter-Leath has consolidated many of its administrative functions into a new Early Childhood Development Center in Southeast Memphis. The organization also recently announced a merger with Books from Birth, which provides free books in the mail to children across Shelby County.

The Captain Harris house, built in 1898, is one of dozens of properties available for short-term rental in Cooper-Young, the city's most commonly listed neighborhood on the site.
Memphis sees 80% growth in Airbnb visitor stays over past year

Airbnb represents an alternative income source for property owners and an expansion of options for tourists, local officials say. The site saw the number of hosts in Memphis double over the past 12 months, at the same time the local hotel industry also saw above-average growth.  

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