"Loeb Properties has become almost synonymous with the word 'revitalization' in the Memphis commercial real estate sector. His current project — the Highland Strip."
2016 Society of Entrepreneurs Inductee: Bob Loeb
"Bob Loeb will take a moment to point out who’s who in a series of remarkable images hanging on the walls of Loeb Properties.
The framed newspaper advertisements offer the sort of nostalgia that brings a smile to Memphians of a certain age. Bob and his siblings were prominently featured in the decades-old ads that touted the enterprises of their father, Bill Loeb, who put the entrepreneurial family’s name on stores all over the region, selling, among other things, laundry and dry cleaning services, and Loeb’s Tasty Bar-B-Q (“The Best Little Pig on the Market”). "
Loeb Properties Looking to Develop Highland Strip
"Loeb Properties, the commercial real estate and property management company that revitalized Overton Square, is taking on a new area of town.
The Highland Strip, in the heart of the U of M area, is where representatives with the company are hoping to breathe new life. Representatives said they have renovated some of the existing buildings. They have added the fireball exhibit, right next to Newby's, and they plan to add more public art.
Business owners on the strip are happy to see renovations and changes on the block."
Before Successes, Loeb Started from Zero – Twice
"Barreling down Madison Avenue in a black corduroy blazer and a pert, pink pocket square, Bob Loeb seems distracted. Then I realize: he’s editing. Move that tree, put a mural there. Tear that down, build that up.
“What do you think, and be honest,” he inquires. “Put the ballet over there, on the corner? Or across the street, next to Hattiloo?”
For most people, it would be idle speculation – but not for Loeb. Although he didn’t own the land Ballet Memphis ended up buying, he does own 12 acres in the immediate vicinity. Over the last five years, he’s transformed them into some of the most valuable real estate in the city."
The Bluff to bring live music, restaurant to Highland Strip
"A new music venue and restaurant called The Bluff is coming to the rejuvenated Highland Strip.
Remodeling of the 5,952 square feet at 535 S. Highland should start within a month, landlord Loeb Properties announced Monday.
The Bluff will include two downstairs bars, a large stage and green room, a 1,300-square-foot mezzanine with an additional bar, outdoor patio seating next to the stage, and another patio facing Highland that offers an outdoor/indoor atmosphere. The Bluff will have entrances on Highland and in the rear closer to the renovated, back parking lot.
Among The Bluff owners are Hudson Chadwick, who owns Rafters Music and Food and The Corner Bar in Oxford, Mississippi.
"The venue will feature live music including country and rock-and-roll acts appealing to nearby University of Memphis students and Memphis residents alike while also offering a great place to watch sporting events on the multiple televisions and projectors,'' states a release by Loeb Properties."
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Giant 'Highland Strip' sign comes to district near U of M
"For anyone standing or driving by Highland Street at Walker Avenue, there should no longer be any mistaking what commercial district they're in.
A sign proclaiming the "Highland Strip'' now stands in bright red letters that are 6 feet high, 77 feet long and mounted high on the rooftop of the tight row of commercial buildings long known as a hangout for University of Memphis students.
And for the record, the font is slightly modified copperplate gothic.
Loeb Properties had Frank Balton Sign Co. install the letters on Friday. Loeb owns the two buildings underneath -- Whatever smoke shop and another space available for lease -- as well as other buildings the company has purchased on the Strip and in the University District over the past two years.
Neon outlines the inside edge of the letters, poised to be illuminated at night. "I can't wait to see it lit,'' said Rachelle Cordova, who as general manager of the Domino's Pizza across Highland from the sign, may be seeing the sign more than anyone else."
Business Owners Want You To 'Meet Along Madison'
"We have Downtown Dining Week and Memphis Black Restaurant Week. Now, a new event is highlighting businesses on Madison Avenue in Midtown Memphis. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, you can just say "Meet Me Along Madison!"
Participating businesses will offer specials for $20.16. It is not just restaurants participating."
Loeb Wants to be "Great Neighbor" in University District
"Residents reacted to Loeb Properties presentation on the Highland Strip with both excitement and concern at a recent University District Summit.
Loeb Properties owns roughly two-thirds of the Highland Strip and is now trying to revitalize the area into a walkable entertainment district."
Loeb Converting 'Prime' Poplar Location into Office Space
"Once a bank, a Poplar Avenue building is about to be repurposed into office space.
Loeb Properties Inc., owner of the 5270 Poplar Ave. site, is in the process of giving the building a complete overhaul. Previously, it housed a Bank of America branch."
Loeb to Give Highland Strip the Overton Treatment
"The Highland Strip is being revitalized and one of the companies at the helm of its restoration was also behind Overton Square’s comeback.
Loeb Properties Inc. now owns the buildings from 569 S. Highland St. to 535 S. Highland Street, minus the vacant lot located at 559 S. Highland St. The plan, construct a walkable entertainment district."
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."
MUS Today: Overton Square Over Again
"That was Overton Square in the 1970s, conceived by a group of young and ambitious businessmen. They transformed the quiet Midtown intersection of Cooper and Madison into Memphis’ premier destination for a good time. Judging by recent Friday night crowds, one might imagine that the mojo never subsided – that the patios have always been a swirling mix of theatergoers, bachelor parties, yoga students, and foodies. But not only did Overton Square spend nearly two decades on life support, it nearly flatlined a few years ago.
The storefronts were bare. Out-of-town owners balked at the cost of renovation. Bulldozers would flatten the block. In its place would rise a strip mall and a discount grocery store. Fortunately, Overton Square was reclaimed by Memphians who wanted their good times back. It required a special group of people to build – and then rebuild – the heart of Midtown Memphis. But then, Overton Square has always benefited from bold and progressive backers – many of whom call Memphis University School their alma mater."
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."
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."
Newby’s to Reopen on Highland Strip
"Foreclosed, sold and now reborn — Newby’s is on its way back.
The longstanding bar located at 535 and 539 S. Highland St. was sold to Loeb Properties Inc. in December 2014 after being foreclosed on by Paragon Bank. The then-Newby’s bar was just shy of celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Loeb gave the space some much-needed TLC, and now, the new tenant, Larry Thompson, will finish the job.
Thompson, a University of Memphis graduate, is also a former Newby’s employee, and he owned a wings restaurant in Colorado. He will relaunch the bar under the same signature name and plans to build on its rich history.
“Newby’s was just too good of an opportunity to pass on,” Thompson said. “I want to keep Newby’s alive. I don’t want to change it.”"
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."
Choose901: Loeb Sets Sights on Broad Avenue
"Today Loeb Properties announced in a press release their plans to revitalize the old Sears Factory Outlet warehouse space at 2542 Broad Avenue and turn it into a mixed-use development totaling 44,500 square feet. The now vacant warehouse, originally purchased by Loeb in 1995, is across the street from the now vibrant, south side of Broad Avenue which is 100% occupied. Both sides of Broad constitute the Broad Avenue Arts District.
Initial renderings of the repurposing show the warehouse “hollowed out” in the middle for parking on what is now a warehouse floor. Surrounding the parking area will be retail, entertainment, restaurant and even office space for tenants with space needs from 1,700 square feet to 30,000 square feet."
Tenant Profile: Germantown Trainers Studio
"Susan Ritter had been a Marine and a competitive athlete. Mike Farah had been a successful corporate executive who almost worked himself into an early grave, lost 50 pounds, retired, and began competing in body building competitions.
Along the way, Ritter and Farah worked as trainers at area fitness centers, and started talking about having their own business.
Recently, Farah, 61, and Ritter, 50, opened Trainers Studio in a 1,200 square-foot space in Farmington Centre in Germantown. The complex includes a fitness center and yoga studio, plus a chiropractor, but they don’t see any of them as threats. If anything, they are complementary business models."
Memphis Business Journal: Dixie Pickers Moves to East Memphis
"Local retailer, Dixie Pickers, signed a lease with Loeb Properties to open a store in East Memphis.
Located at 964 June Road near the intersection of Poplar and Yates, the 8,400-square-foot building previously housed Tommy Bronson's Sporting Goods. The expansion will mark the second Dixie Pickers location."
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."