MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Years of hard work are paying off for the Memphis Medical District. Over the past year the community has seen 10 new businesses established, including one by a Memphis-native.
“I mean I always knew I’d be a business woman, but I just never knew what exactly that would be,” says Carmella Rogers, Hotworks Owner.
Rogers and her husband opened up their franchise in the Medical District back in September after having difficulty finding a location in Downtown Memphis.
“It’s harder to find a spot downtown, there are so many different aspects that you need to consider,” says Rogers, “The edge district is perfect, you got Frayser, we got White Haven, South Memphis, Downtown, Midtown.”
President of the Memphis Medical District Collaborative Rory Thomas says this year the district has seen a lot of progress thanks to the traffic the neighborhood has seen. He adds most people have to travel through it to get to either Downtown or Midtown, but the goal now is to make the Medical District a destination rather than something people pass.
“Businesses are coming in to locate, developers see a lot of opportunity in the district, a lot more employees, residents, students coming to the district,” says Thomas.
The Medical District is currently the destination of nearly 23,000 hospital and college employees, 8,000 students and 11,000 residents according to Thomas.
To help retain and attract some of those numbers, a major emphasis has been put into having the right housing. More than 800 residential units have been announced in 2022, including 372 at Orleans Station. While it will not be completed until 2023, some of the units have already been finished and begun leasing.
“We want to give them an option to stay here in Memphis and get a job at one of the anchor institutions that we have here in the Medical District,” says Michelle Risher, Executive VP at Henry Turley Co.
Thomas’ eyes are now on 2023. Emphasis will continue to be on creating an inclusive business community. The collaborative offers technical assistance, pre-development and improvement grants, and a $30 million Medical District Investment Fund to help attract and support businesses.
“The Medical District is vibrant and growing as those other areas, and not missing a beat can really mean a lot for the entire city,” says Thomas, “and it’s becoming a place where people are proactively wanting to come and invest.”