Originally known as the City of South Memphis, South Main’s iconic buildings were constructed in the early 1900s to meet the retail needs of train travelers. By mid-century, rail travel fell out of favor and the area was largely abandoned. In the 1980s, artists began moving to the neighborhood, attracted by cheap rents and large work spaces. Today, South Main is a thriving artist community with unique galleries, studios, cafes, and boutiques. It’s also home to the National Civil Rights Museum, historic Arcade diner. It is regularly featured in films and television and is seen as a major artery of the Downtown core.
Many Memphians don’t have access to reliable transportation. Bus routes can add hours to a commute, even if the stops are in a convenient location. Folks who own vehicles often […]
With the help of the National Civil Rights Museum, slam poet and activist Writeous Soul is working to elevate the art of spoken word poetry in Memphis while honoring the history of black arts and civil rights heroes.
275 Food Project is working towards a $1.5 billion reinvestment in local food. They're connecting farmers to buyers, reactivating spaces and building a container restaurant in Soulsville. Now High Ground takes a first look at their Ground Up fellowship.
The Memphis Medical District Collaborative’s workforce development program connects residents to training, education and employment opportunities in and around the Medical District.
While many community members and organizations often have great ideas for community development projects, the reality is there is not enough money available to fund everyone's vision. Last year, Community LIFT’s Empowerment Fund paved the way for improvement and beautification projects across the city, but a new study shows that much more funding is needed to keep momentum from those projects moving forward.
Plans for the One Beale riverfront redevelopment project have changed many times over the past 15 years as developers adapted to construction challenges and unstable economic conditions. With the recent addition of a critical piece of property, now Carlisle LLC is set to revive the project and start construction by early next year on the first phase.
Propel, a business accelerator for existing minority-owned businesses, is launching its next cohort in the midst of several new city-backed initiatives intended to boost the wealth and diversity of the Memphis economy.
Developers Tom Intrator of 18 S Main Mem, LLC and Nick Patel of TCH Memphis, LLC announced upcoming construction on two Downtown redevelopment projects: a mixed-use building in the South Main Arts District and a new hotel on the east end of Beale Street.
Artspace Immersion is an 18-month cohort program designed to build local capacity for creating and maintaining affordable space for arts, cultural, and creative pursuits. Artspace has transformed neighborhoods across the United States through more than 40 arts-related projects.
Community cohesion is the focus for Community Lift as it begins the application process for this year’s round of micro-grants for its Empowerment Fund, now in its second year.
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