MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – If you’ve ever struggled to find a parking space in downtown Memphis, your struggle is about to end.
A massive, multi-story transportation hub is being built in the heart of the city. When finished, it will have hundreds of parking spaces. And that’s not all.
Been to a show at the Orpheum and parked right across the street in the flat lot? That is where the Mobility Center is going up. There’s a massive crane on the job site that’s hard to miss, a welcome sign of more progress in an already booming downtown Memphis.
David Jamison loves living downtown, but does not enjoy searching for a parking spot. He predicts the new Mobility Center will be a real game changer.
“Man, it’s needed,” Jamison told Action News 5, “It’s about time. Downtown is growing a whole lot and I think this would definitely be something that’s going to be monumental for the City of Memphis.”
Paul Young, President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission, said the Mobility Center will provide 960 parking spaces, including some with electric charging stations.
“So this provides a key opportunity for parking spaces,” said Young, “And that unlocks development activity. It allows our employers to add employees. So it’s really key to our revitalization of Downtown.”
Young said there will be 11,000 square feet of retail space, a bike commuter station where you can store or rent a bike, along with covered drop-off areas for Uber and Lyft riders.
William Richmond has lived downtown for a decade. He’s excited to check out the Mobility Center when it’s finished, and agreed it will make it much more convenient for visitors to park and go to the renovated Tom Lee Park or head out to a Grizz game, or hang out on the most famous street in Tennessee.
“They’re close to everything,” he said, “Like Beale Street is right there, and then you’ve got the center right there, so that’s nice. I think it’s going to be beautiful!”
The DMC’s Young said the $40 million Mobility Center is funded by a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) extension rent fund managed by the DMC.
The general contractor is Flintco, same company that built FedExForum, Hyatt Centric at One Beale and Guesthouse at Graceland. The architect is Memphis-based Looney Ricks Kiss.
“Minority participation is really important,” Young told Action News 5, “They’re at about 40-percent participation on the minority side, so we’re really excited about all of the inclusion that this project brings.” The Downtown Mobility Center, a modern, multi-modal transportation hub, is poised to be the next jewel in Memphis’ downtown crown.
“Definitely for the people that’s coming in and visiting and just trying to hang out downtown, I think this is going to be great,” said David Jamison, “it’s going to be really great!” The DMC said the scheduled completion date is August 2023.