Overton Square is in danger of becoming more of a box.
Plans for the square include tearing down existing buildings, such
as the former T.G.I. Fridays, on the south side of Madison and placing
a strip mall there or constructing a big-box grocery store in the
southwest corner of the adjacent parking lot.
In a meeting organized by Memphis Heritage last week, architects,
planners, and Midtown residents came together to discuss the current
development plans for Overton Square, plans that many at the meeting
did not agree with.
“I would hate to see the buildings torn down,” said David Hanson.
“The idea of a grocery store is great, but I don’t want to infringe on
anybody else’s rights, especially when they talk about the back of that
building facing the front of the other existing buildings.”
Others wanted to make sure any retail development would meet certain
standards.
“If a grocery store must go there, I would like for it to be an
upscale grocery store, like Trader Joe’s,” said Midtown resident Sara
Holmes.
Memphis Heritage executive director June West contacted Fisher
Capital, one of the Square’s owners, but was told to take her concerns
to the city and not to the owners or AWG, developers for the site.
West also contacted AWG and asked for a meeting, but AWG did not
return her calls.
“If they don’t come to the table, we don’t have any way of knowing
or communicating what we would like to see, and Midtown residents have
a right to say what they would like to see in that area,” West said.
“It’s not that we want to obstruct them. We want to be involved in the
plan.”
Meeting participants also wondered if they could get a moratorium on
development to delay any possible demolition of the area’s
buildings.
“Every city has a heart and in Memphis, it’s Overton Square,” said
Jeanne Arthur, a realtor who handled public relations for the Square in
its early days. “I think that heart still wants to beat.”
