For another installment of our “5 Reasons” series, we contacted June West, director of the private, nonprofit group Memphis Heritage, which is headquartered at Howard Hall, which is just east on Madison from Overton Square.
As a neighborhood stakeholder and Midtown enthusiast, we wanted to check in with June to ask her “Five Reasons Overton Square Revivial Will be Good for Midtown.”
1. There will be new vitality from the new retail and restaurants, bringing more people and more economic impact to Memphis.
2. The re-imagined Overton Square will give Memphians a true Heart of the Arts district, combining theater, music, and art galleries in the center of the city. There will be something enjoyable for everyone and I predict Overton Square will anchor one of the fastest growing and most popular neighborhoods in Midtown Memphis and will serve as the vital link between Broad Street, Overton Park and Cooper-Young. It’s a Midtowner’s dream.
3. Overton Square will bring new life block-by-block to one of Midtown’s most important neighborhoods. The natural ripple effect will be seen in property values. And who wouldn’t like that?
4. Overton Square’s new development will prove to naysayers, especially developers, that Memphians are drawn to historic neighborhoods that give them what they want: beautiful design, authenticity, and exciting quality to life.
5. My favorite reason: Hey, those old buildings aren’t so bad. Matter of fact, they’re great!