Redevelopment: Beale Street and the Northside Square Project

Amidst the twisting roller coaster of major news surrounding the Grizzlies, you may have missed an even more consequential announcement affecting the future of the team. Last week, the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) announced that it had been awarded $74 million from the state of Tennessee for the purposes of improving the Beale Street corridor. According to the Daily Memphian, the money will be used to improve public safety and generally uplift the perception of downtown for residents and businesses alike.

It got us thinking: What does good development look like? How does it help the people who live in the areas where it is happening? How do we ensure that residents are not displaced by development or revitalization efforts? Where should we be targeting investments in Memphis?