Hnedak Bobo Group Inc.
The proposed towers of the One Beale project.
One Beale’s developers want to add the historic William C. Ellis & Sons Iron Works Inc. property to its planned high-rise campus and a new apartment may rise close to the old Antenna Club on Madison.
Carslisle Corp., officially added the Ellis building to its planned development, for One Beale, according to documents released Wednesday by the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning and Development.
The addition of the property into the $160 million One Beale project will be decided first by the Land Use Control Board during its meeting on Thursday, March 8, at 10 a.m. at Memphis City Hall.
The metal business, described as one of Memphis’ oldest, closed in 2016. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and it and the land were sold to Carlisle in 2017 for $3.5 million.
Historic preservationists railed against demolishing the building in a public meeting in April. They fretted at the time that Carlisle had not submitted any formal redevelopment plans for the building, though they said the city had issued a demolition permit to the company.
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“I find it hard to believe that you are going to pay $3.5 million for a building you have no plans for,” June West, executive director of Memphis Heritage, said at the meeting.
Wednesday’s application answered that question (partially at least). The Ellis property is slated for “future development” as are two other new parcels that the application would add to the project. Though, the application does not give any hints as to what kind of new building would rise on the property.
“One Beale (planned development) will be a world class development that includes a luxury hotel, apartments, office space, restaurants, spa, and on-site parking,” said Cindy Reaves, a consultant with SR Consulting, aiding Carlisle on the project. “We feel this development will not have an adverse impact on the surrounding neighborhood.”
If the three new parcels are added as Carlisle hopes, One Beale’s campus would total a bit more than 5 acres. The entire site is bounced by Riverside and Front to the east and west, and Beale and Pontotoc on the north and south. 
Hnedak Bobo Group
MADISON APARTMENTS
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The former site of the Antenna Club at Madison and Avalon.
Developers want to add 230 new apartments in four buildings close to the corner of Madison and Avalon in a project that would include the former Antenna Club building.
The developer, called 1544 Madison Partners, said they own the building the once housed the Antenna Club and that they do not intend to demolish it. Rather, they hope to redevelop the building but don’t yet know what tenant they may attract.
1544 Partners does not own the two-story building right on the corner of Madison and Avalon, which was once the home of a dentist’s office, according to the group.
They do want to add four new buildings on vacant tracts of land roughly bounded by Madison, Court, Avalon, and the property containing the P&H Cafe.
The complex would have a leasing office, a fitness center, common areas, and an internet cafe for residents.
The complex would be accessed with two gated driveways on Madison and one on Court.
A vote on the new development is on the agenda for the LUCB’s March meeting. Should they be approved by that board, the Memphis City Council will deliver final votes on them later.
SOUTH MAIN CONDOS
A developer hopes to divide a 1.37-acre lot in South Main into 30 condos.
Phillip Woodard, the property owner and developer, will ask the LUCB to approve the idea so he can build Butler + Front Townhomes, to be located at the northwest corner of Front and Butler.
A warehouse on the site now (with a mural of children’s faces) would be demolished. It and the adjacent parking would make way for three rows of condos. The smallest lot is 969 square feet. The largest is 1,298 square feet.
Most of the lots would be accessed by a private drive from Butler. Others would be accessed by Wagner Place, which is now, basically, and alley.
The skin of the units would be corrugated metal and solid metal doors.
