Saved our Shell?

This is extremely good news. The City of Memphis is moving forward on a lease/management agreement between the Parks Division and the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Memphis that will renovate the Overton Park Shell (aka the Raoul Wallenberg Shell in Overton Park). The agreement is moving through the City Council. During the City Council's July 11th meeting [PDF alert]:

RESOLUTION requests City Council approval for an agreement to be negotiated between the City of Memphis, Tennessee, through its Division of Park Services and the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Memphis, Inc., a Tennessee 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, for the management and renovation of the Raoul Wallenburg Shell in Overton Park. The initial term of the Agreement is to be twenty five (25) years. The effective date of the Agreement is to be July 1, 2006. The cost to renovate is estimated at $1,000,000.00. The City of Memphis is to allocate $500,000.00 from G.O. Bonds as part of the CIP Budget. Friends will fund all renovation cost exceeding $500,000.00. Friends will fund operating, administration and programming costs throughout the life of the Agreement

Then this past Tuesday [PDF alert], the Council's Park Committee acted:

Resolution approving the Management and Renovation Agreement between the City of Memphis through the Division of Parks Services and the Friends fo the Levitt Pavilion Memphis, Inc., a Tennessee 501 © (3) non-profit corporation for the management and renovation of the Raoul Wallenburg Shell in Overton Park.

A friend had heard about this on WKNO, but I couldn't find any other details 'cept the documents above, which are the most important details other than the Council's final approval. I found the 501c3 information for Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Memphis (no link), which lists Mimi Phillips of 80 Monroe as their agent, but couldn't find anything else. Friends of the Levitt Pavilion organizations operate open air public arenas in California and Connecticut, among other places.

Soon I hope to move the Shell from my threatened list to my preserved list.