SK8Mud

The second round of public meetings for the Mud Island River Park Land Use Study are comingup this week. The actionists from Skatelife Memphis are asking that skatepark supporters, be they skaters or not, turn out. The meeting details:

1.Memphis Botanical Gardens
Tuesday May 12th, from 5:45 - 7:15 pm
Location: Memphis Botanic Gardens, 750 Cherry Road (near Audobon Park)


2. Downtown Meeting
Thursday May 14th from 5:45 - 7:15 pm
Location:MIRP Harbor Landing, 101 Island Drive (gate security will give directions) Basically drive to Mud Island and go through the security gates. It's on Mud Island.

Plus check out the findings from the first round.

To me these reports look like the skatepark supporters are making their voices heard loud and clear. There's opposition from Park Services (fearing competition for their much anticipated neighborhood skatepark) and the Regional Chamber (for reasons unknown) to a Mud Island skatepark but every other stakeholder group appears to support or be neutral on it. And the support for it at the open meetings has dwarfed every other idea.

I don't know what will be presented on Tuesday and Thursday but I think skatepark's too big to completely ignore. But look for the machinations of a powerful and secretive cabal of NIMBY geezers if the study recommends putting the skaters under the I-40 bridge, or some other unvisible location.

Is Mud Island Part of the Promenade?

Roy Harrover thinks it is. The architect of Mud Island, the Memphis College of Art and Memphis International Airport says so in a letter to today's Commercial Appeal:

Before expressing firm opinions on the Mud Island River Park inclusion in the Greg Ericson proposal, city officials and representatives should realize that the park cannot be used for commercial purposes.

The park property north of Union was added legally by accretion to the Promenade, which lies between Front Street and the Mississippi River. This open-space promenade was dedicated to the citizens of Memphis by the city's founders.

Roy Harrover

Memphis

(links mine)

Startling, at least for me.

Along the Banks of Mud Island Harbor

I saw these blocks lying on the eastern side of the Mud Island Harbor during a kayak tour Saturday.



They seem to be formed from compressed autos or industrial metal, and they look like they've been there a long time. Maybe they were dumped there, or were put there as an alternative form of bank stabilizer.

Their setting, mangling and aging have given them a cool organic texture.



Hopefully more soon on the excursion.

In the meantime, cogitate on this: is there an architectural aesthetic of the Mississippi River? Something that doesn't ignore or try to civilize its mud, its vegetation, its stages, its power -- it embraces them? To work, the aesthetic has to touch the River, not stop yards away, where it's safe.

Beale Street Landing might provide this, but are there any that already exist?