Loeb Properties to Reposition YoLo, Kwik Shop Grill

YoLo Frozen Yogurt in Overton Square and the Kwik Shop Grill at Central Avenue and East Parkway are both on their way out.

Property owner Loeb Properties will soon undertake significant remodels at the locally-owned Midtown restaurants to attract other restaurant tenants.

Loeb Properties is leveraging a “significant remodel” of the YoLo space at 6 Cooper St. and the Lenny’s space at 12 Cooper St. to attract a new restaurant tenant. Lenny’s will not be leaving, but YoLo will have to relocate.

The two-tenant building that houses YoLo and Lenny’s at the corner of Cooper Street and Madison Avenue is the first building Loeb Properties purchased in the area. Loeb Properties has another lease with YoLo at a second location at 559 Erin Drive in East Memphis.

“We really appreciate them as tenants and we hope we can help them find another location,” said Ciara Neill, director of marketing for Loeb Properties. “Unfortunately, they can't relocate to Overton Square because it is 100 percent occupied.”

Read more in the Memphis Daily News

Overton Square Atrium Has New Operator

"On a Friday morning, the Atrium in Overton Square may host a corporate meeting, with a wedding planned for that same night.

As the event venue’s new operator, CFY Catering will manage event bookings, planning, preparation and of course, the food.

Overton Square and venue management are both new territories for the Bartlett-based catering company."

Read more in the Memphis Daily News

REMED: The Art of Guillame Alby

French artist Guillame Alby has created murals at Loeb properties at Overton Square, You Are The Universe, and Broad Avenue, This Is We. Learn more about his creative process:

"There isn’t some kind of special motivation for making art. Instead, the drive to create is present within each and every one of us. It’s only a matter of choice if we follow it.

Alby Guillaume, aka Remed, is a French artist who plunged himself into the world of art without any kind of formal training, but that didn’t limit him in any way. Characterizing his work as mix between mathematics and soul, he seeks precision and always listens his gut feeling. Simplifying things is one way to make them universal. Sometimes the artist succeeds, sometimes not, but all the pieces possess a level of sincerity that makes them appealing to the viewers. Well, their imposing visual qualities also help in a great deal."

Read more in WideWalls

MCA Students Design Overton Square Art Map

"Loeb Properties has kicked Overton Square’s status as an entertainment destination up a notch with a newly released art map that highlights public art alongside restaurants and retail.

Loeb Properties commissioned Memphis College of Art students to design the map as part of a semester-long Design Lab course where students learned how to fulfill a project for a client.

“If the students are going in the direction of design, then that process is valuable because they need to learn to think strategically and develop design ideas, and not just produce as artists,” said Cat Normoyle, assistant professor at MCA and adviser for the Design Lab."

Read more in the Memphis Daily News

Art-filled Overton Square Creates Maps for Self-guided Tours

"Overton Square is so filled now with public art that the entertainment district has enlisted Memphis College of Art to create self-guided tour maps for visitors.

Developer Loeb Properties has installed more than a dozen substantial murals, sculptures, paintings, stained glass and tiled art as well as a growing number of smaller works tucked in the corners and the landscaping.

There's no room for more tenants -- the district is fully leased -- but the art just keeps on coming. 

On Thursday, the lunch crowd on the patio of Boscos Squared watched artist Jay Crum install the shimmering mural he and his wife Kong Wee Pang created for the west wall of Local Gastropub." 

Read more in the Commercial Appeal

Bristerfest in Overton Square

Join Bristerfest in Overton Square this fall in The Tower Courtyard on Saturday, October 10th from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Bristerfest is a fun, family-friendly event that benefits urban gardening in Memphis, Tennessee. The fifth annual Brister Street Music Festival will take place at Overton Square’s Tower Courtyard from 11am-6pm on Saturday, October 10th, 2015.

Bring your friends, bring your family, this is going to be a good time! We are preparing to make this year the best Bristerfest ever. Shop with local vendors and artists in our festival marketplace along Trimble street. Enjoy the sweet sounds of Memphis with an eclectic, entertaining local music lineup.

A portion of proceeds benefits GrowMemphis to build new urban gardens, to make Memphis a healthy, sustainable city.

Southern Junkers Market at Overton Square

Join the Southern Junkers Fall Market in Overton Square this season on the South Lot of Overton Square at 25 South Cooper off of Trimble Place.

Featuring a juried Vintage, Antique and Artisan Outdoor Market with jewelry, art, antiques, unique and weird stuff; collectables, handmade, rusty crusty and cool junk!

Saturday, Sep 12, 2015 thru Sunday, Sep 13, 2015
Saturday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

No Vacancies: Overton Square 100% Leased

"Six years ago its then-leasing agent described the mostly empty Overton Square as an outdated commercial center, much of which should be razed and rebuilt with a big-box grocery behind a suburban-style parking lot.

But on Tuesday came confirmation that the preserved and renovated Square is 100 percent leased with the signing of its 27th tenant, women’s clothing store The Ivory Closet at 2095 Madison.

“I think that had somebody told me it would be 100 percent occupied at this point in time we probably wouldn’t have forecast that conservatively,” said Aaron Petree, leasing broker for Square owner Loeb Properties.

With a long list of more businesses that have expressed an interest in moving into the walker-friendly Midtown entertainment district, Memphis-based Loeb Properties is now making plans to erect new retail space on the last few surface parking lots that line Cooper and Madison."

Read more in the Commercial Appeal

Overton Square To Host October Blues Festival

"Overton Square will host a two-day blues festival in October billed as the first of its kind in the city since 1969.

The Bona Fide Blues Festival on Oct. 2 and 3 is being presented by the Memphis Blues Society and will feature two free outdoor stages in the entertainment district. It also will include blues performances in four Overton Square businesses using $25 wristbands. A $100 VIP wristband includes admission to a party before the two-day festival."

Read more at the Memphis Daily News

Make a Mess: Vergos Sisters Open Art Studio for Kids in Overton Square

"If you eat a plate of ribs at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, you’re likely to walk away with messy fingers. You’re also likely to get messy at a new business in Overton Square, where sisters Anna Vergos Blair and Katherine Vergos Riederer have opened their kid-friendly creativity zone The Art Project.

Only six months ago, the pair dreamed up a place where kids could make art, parents could engage or kick back with adult beverages, and no one’s carpet had to be made a casualty.

“Basically anything that makes a mess, (my daughter Matilda) loves, but I didn’t love the mess in my house,” Blair said. “I started looking for a place to do free art, free in the sense of let them do what they want and explore different materials with no real set projects or no visible outcomes."

Read more in the Memphis Daily News

Memphis Magazine: When It Was Hip To Be Square

"Their breath fogging the glass, the young men and women pressed their faces against the windows of Bombay Bicycle Club. Somebody outside was checking a thermometer, counting down the numbers as the temperature dropped: 30, then 29, then 28. "What's taking them so long?" a man demanded. Inside the crowded club, a woman finally shouted, "Here it comes!" and everyone glimpsed the first snowflakes — first a few, but within minutes, a veritable blizzard. People dashed outside, catching the flakes in their hands, laughing and cheering, and even throwing snowballs. Soon a white blanket covered the streets and sidewalks of Overton Square.

But what a strange snowstorm. Anyone who glanced up could see a bright blue sky overhead, and — even more remarkable — just two blocks away in either direction, Madison Avenue had no snow at all.

It didn't require a weatherman to explain the snow storm that fell on Overton Square that December afternoon in 1976. The blizzard was fake — snow blown by powerful machines mounted on the roofs of buildings. It was a highlight of the Charles Dickens Christmas that year, just one of many unique events that helped make Overton Square the city's premier entertainment district. That was more than 30 years ago, and the intersection of Madison and Cooper has seen many changes since then, some good, some bad. Here's a look back at the early days, when it was hip to be Square."

Read the full article at Memphis Magazine

Memphis Daily News: Overton Square Celebrates 45 Years

"Overton Square is preparing to throw a party 45 years in the making, the commemoration of a milestone for one of the city’s premier restaurant and entertainment districts that’s once again hopping with activity.

A 45th anniversary party for the square is in the works, planned for May 21 in honor of the opening of TGI Friday’s on May 21, 1970. And the square’s official Facebook page lists a few ways the public can participate in the celebration.

Among the things being sought are contact details for bands that played the square in its heyday and that could be approached about performing at the party the square is billing as a “reunion.”

The public also is being asked for any historic photos of the square and of celebratory moments enjoyed there that could be used in display and event marketing."

Read more in the Memphis Daily News

Memphis Business Journal: Robata Ramen Signs Lease in Overton Square

"Jimmy Ishii plans to open a new concept, Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar, in the Overton Square’s historic Griffin House.

The Memphis restaurateur signed a 1,526-square-foot lease at 2116 Madison Avenue, taking a yellow house which remained residential during the district’s commercial heyday.

Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar, taking its name from the Japanese word for “fireside,” is an izakaya bar and grill serving kushiyaki skewers of grilled meat and vegetables, kara-age bite-sized fried chicken, ramen noodle soups and other traditional Japanese items.

Chefs will serve customers seated at the bar using a paddle. This method comes from an old Japanese method of fishermen passing meals from boat to boat."

Read more in the Memphis Business Journal

Memphis Business Journal: Overton Square Approaching Capacity

Loeb Properties Inc. has been riding a leasing hot streak in recent months at Overton Square. The Midtown retail property, once left for dead, is now currently 73 percent occupied. What a difference a year, and a local owner, make.

Overton Square declined for years under Colorado-based Overton Square Investors LLC, but that started changing once Memphis-based Loeb purchased the property.

Read more in the Memphis Business Journal

New Sweet Shop Signs Lease in Overton Square

"Dentists of Midtown might want to brace themselves as Overton Square has landed a local candy shop.

Sweet Noshings, owned by Leena Asbridge, has signed a 1,750-square-foot lease at 2113 Madison Avenue. The sweet shop will offer a variety of sugary options, including candy, cookies, cake, popcorn, chocolate and coffee.

“Years ago, I told my parents that one day I would open a candy shop, and the first thing I would stock is chocolate-covered marshmallows,” said Asbridge. “Today I have executed a portion of that dream — the perfect location. There isn’t a better choice than Overton Square for the family-friendly atmosphere I want to create with Sweet Noshings.”"

Read more in the Memphis Business Journal

The Memphis Flyer: Hip To Be Square

"It's Friday night, and it's nearly impossible to find parking around Overton Square. Drivers cruise down Madison, hoping to be lucky enough to spot someone pulling out of a precious on-street spot in the shadow of the still-under-construction parking garage.

Patrons of the newly opened martini lounge Bar Louie sip cocktails on the swanky patio. Others linger on the front steps of a vacant space next door, talking and texting on their phones. A couple holding hands crosses Madison and ducks into Local Gastropub. The windows of Boscos Squared offer a peek at diners eating and laughing.

Three men, who look to be in their mid-to-late 50s, walk past Bar Louie, and one points in the direction of a parking lot beside the Bayou Bar & Grill across the street: "That's where the old Silky's used to be," he says. The men exchange a nostalgic "uh-huh" and "that's right."

Although vacant spaces remain in the previously left-for-dead Overton Square, a handful of new businesses and the promise of more have begun to resuscitate the iconic Midtown corner at Cooper and Madison."

Read more at The Memphis Flyer

WMC-TV 5: Overton Square Facelift In Progress

"There is a lot of moving and shaking going on in Overton Square these days as the area gets a well-deserved face lift.

When many think of Overton Square, they think of the food and beverage scene, but its redevelopment means adding fitness centers and it is all set to open by the end of the year.

"To have a vibrant downtown, you have to have a healthy Midtown," explained Bob Loeb, Loeb Properties.

Loeb says Overton Square is on its way to making a new name for itself.

"We've got food and beverage, we've got theater and film. We want art on the street, so we've got mosaics and murals," he said. Loeb says there is a possibility for a new tapas and crepe restaurant. But restaurants will not be the only attraction."

Watch more at WMC-TV Action News 5

David Lynch Mural at Bari Ristorante

Loeb Properties seeks opportunities to incorporate public art wherever possible to add a sense of place to every property.

Many art installations are taking shape or are in the works for Overton Square. The first piece in production is a mural by David Lynch, on the north-facing wall of the Bari Ristorante building, at 22 South Cooper. Upon first look, the wall has a lot of challenges, with the number of windows, electrical attachments, and wires:

Here are some words about the project from the artist, David Lynch:

"First it was an honor to work with Lou [Loeb] & Carol [Deforest] on such a main-statement mural for Overton Square in which I spent a lot of time in my youth – some good, some bad.  The area is so rich in character with the older buildings and with Overton Park as the backdrop, that I wanted to capture that in the art piece.

As for the Bari Wall itself, some would say that it would be hard to incorporate 13 windows, 2 doors and a lot of meters and wires into a mural, but I envisioned the basis for the final mural from the first time that I saw the wall.  It is actually a combination of art styles, one being my contemporary cityscape style, then I blended in a bit of folk art styling –  in the sense that I layered the buildings to give it a look of depth, but all the facades are facing forward – yet the piece still has depth and dimensions."

Watch this public artwork continue to take shape; we look forward to enjoying the impact it will have on Overton Square’s aesthetic presence. Patrons will be able to enjoy this creative and colorful masterpiece for years to come.

MemShop at Overton Square

In partnership with the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team and Indie Style Market, Loeb has been pleased to help sponsor the very first “MemShop” at Overton Square.

In an effort to activate vacant storefronts for pop-up shops, the Mayor’s Innovation Team and Indie Style Market have organized over 40 local artisans and creatives to come together and sell their goods in a market-like setting (with a single point-of-sale) for the three weekends in December leading up to Christmas.  In addition, Downtown Memphis clothier Sache has set up shop, along with Cosmic Collective, which is a partnership between Cosmic Coconut and Give Yoga Memphis. Bluff City Coffee is also selling coffee on-site.

Quoted in the Daily News article on Memshop, Abby Miller, project manager for the Mayor’s Innovation Team, said the following:

“This MemShop at Overton Square is the first time we’re doing a longer-term sort of pop-up shop,” Miller said. “We do plan to continue this initiative throughout the coming years, looking at other neighborhoods in the Madison/Cleveland corridors, as well as South Memphis and Binghampton. The longer-term vision is to have more frequent and regular pop-up shops to help businesses and entrepreneurs enter the market or test new markets around the city.”

The first Friday MemShop was open, Santa came to light the Overton Square Christmas tree. Mayor Wharton joined us in our celebrations. Loeb Properties is pleased that Overton Square can be used in such a creative and resourceful way for the community and neighborhood, especially during this period of ongoing construction and renovations.

To learn more about MemShop, please visit their facebook page.

More coverage of MemShop can be found at the following links:

• The Daily News
• Memphis Business Journal (must be paid subscriber to read)
• Commercial Appeal/Go Memphis
• Memphis Flyer
• Memphis Magazine
• WMC TV-5
• ABC-24
• I Love Memphis blog

Overton Square Updates II

Work has proceeding at Griffin House, a.k.a “The Cottage,” at 2116 Madison in Overton Square. Formerly connected to Paulette’s, numerous structural repairs and cosmetic updates have been taking place to improve the property. The house is approximately 1,500 square feet, would work well for restaurant or retail (there is a small kitchen in the back), and it is currently for lease.

Tom Hayes, Loeb’s VP Construction, tells us this about the building:

Leighnora Elizabeth Griffin, moved into this house in 1919.  During the mid-70s heyday of Overton Square entertainment district, she and her husband, John, continued to live in the house and turned down many offers to purchase this home.  She lived here until her death at age 89 in 1991.

The Cottage was then combined with the Paulette’s restaurant by two breezeways.  The front breezeway was the main connector and included seating.  The rear connector was a service hallway.  This created a private courtyard between the two buildings that was used for outdoor seating.

Our marketing research for our revival of Overton Square showed that the conjoined building was not a viable option leasing purposes.  We then demolished the connectors to separate the structures once again.  Because we had just completed major structural repairs at the old Yosemite Sam’s building with great success, we made the decision to keep the Cottage despite the structural repairs that needed to be made.

In addition to the actual house, we are developing a walkway to be called Griffin Walkway that goes between the two structures from Madison to LaSalle.  At the rear of the Cottage, we are developing Griffin Garden that will be a small public park under the two large oak trees in the rear.  A small security office is being built there.  We also are planning two art projects and a bicycle parking area.  We have spent about $50,000 on the exterior of the Cottage and adjoining area, and will spend another $50,000 on patios, walkways, and other exterior items in this immediate area.

The overall plan is that we will have a walkway that traverses the entire of Overton Square.  It starts on the South where the new garage empties into the old Friday’s alley, then crosses Madison, then down the new Griffin Walkway, through the Griffin Garden, to the North parking lots.

The yellow cottage with a white picket fence is the geographic center of Overton Square and will be distinctive.  We can’t wait for it to be a new retailer or restaurant and for the Garden to be a meeting spot.

Some of the most fun we have in our commercial real estate business is getting to rehabilitate older buildings and give them a new life for a new generation.

See our post on the Yosemite Sam’s (now Local Gastropub) rehab job, mentioned above, here.