Architectural Passage

A recreasingly urban Memphis should retire the cosmetic architectural tailfin for at least a decade, and bring back the beautiful and functional archway.

It's an excellent combo of visual openness and architectural control.

When it's part of a structure built to the perimeter -- the public sidewalk -- an archway is a good urban mix of vigilance and visual and physical passage.

It would be cool to see a growing St. Jude line their new perimeter

with buildings, and make gateway arches the passage points between public and private . Beautiful urban gateways would be a striking solution to St. Jude's twin challenges of security and recruitment.

And they have a prototype, that they don't know is a prototype, already on their campus.

Build more, but this time as large urban gateways.

Good News, Bad Note about the Tennessee Brewery

Today's Memphis Daily News gave a post-mortem of the most recent attempt to redevelop the Tennessee Brewery, (cheerily titled "As Latest Development Plans Collapse, Some Say Brewery Ultimately Faces Demolition") :

What's more, the episode [of the most attempt at development] further underscores an important truth about the brewery, something that likely is regarded as a sad note among historic preservationists.

Various sources have suggested the property's owner might not hold out indefinitely for a redevelopment plan and that, barring any practical alternative for its reuse, some form of demolition could be in the cards for the brewery. That, for example, is the tentative opinion of Rasberry [James Raspberry, the real estate broker for the Brewery] and at least one land planner who's had some involvement with the latest brewery project.

"Everybody wants to see it stay," said Brenda Solomito, a local land planner who was helping the recent trio of developers.

However, I was left wondering: if density of the 1-acre development was the major stumbling block with the present building, how is demolishing it going to solve the density issue? And if the demolition doesn't magically repeal the zoning codes that mandate density and height limits, how does demolition ultimately benefit the owner? You don't get a rebate on your mortgage if you tear down your house. You just piss off your neighbors.

Now the good news, also in the article:

Meanwhile, it must say something about the irresistible attraction of the landmark structure that at the same time one development team called it quits, Rasberry was already in negotiations about a letter of intent from another development group.

He declined to offer specifics about the new team that's contacted him with a proposal, citing its request of confidentiality until a formal contract is executed.

"But I am sitting here typing a response to their letter of intent," he said on March 15.

June West, executive director of Memphis Heritage, also mentioned this hopeful new development at tonight's annual meeting of the preservation organization.

Let me say that I fervently hope that all who own, invest in, live in, work for, look at, write about, dream of and preserve the inarguably wonderful Tennessee Brewery meet with the greatest prosperity and a life far in excess of actuarial probability. I do not wish any failure here except a malfunctioning wrecking ball.

All our successes are possible.

City Council Vote on Brewery Delayed

The City Council voted to postpone consideration of the appeal of the Tennessee Brewery development until the first week of February. They postponed their action due to the pending vote by the Board of Adjustment to re-hear the density variance appeal for the development. If the BoA denies the appeal, any City Council vote tonight would have been rendered moot. A BoA vote tomorrow against the density re-hearing will stop the development (at least as it's planned now).

So far, not bad.

The Board meeting is today, December 20, at 1:00 p.m in the City Council chambers on the 1st floor of City Hall. Citizens showing up to support this cause will help (I don't think I'll be able to get off my day job for this).

[Update: I've corrected the time and date for the meeting, thanks to a note from June West.]

The Longassed Day

This Tuesday, December 19, the appeals for the Tennessee Brewery go before the City Council. First, there's a Planning and Zoning Committee Meeting in Room 501 of City Hall at 2 p.m. After that the City Council's Executive Session will hear the appeal. The executive session wil start at 3 p.m. but the Tennessee Brewery appeal is listed as the second to last item on the agenda -- number 49 out of 50 items on the agenda [careful! pdf].

49 out of 50? A flashmob might come in handy here. Actually it would come in very handy in architectural preservation.

Flash or not, come on down and support the cause!