MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For years, the Whitehaven community has listened to discussions about improving the infrastructure on Elvis Presley Blvd., and now it seems people visiting Graceland will not have as bumpy of a ride during their next visit.
“There are some great things that we are doing,” said Edmund Ford Jr., Shelby County Commissioner.
On Nov. 12, the commissioner laid out the current and future projects in the Whitehaven community which total close to $70,000,000.
The projects include the following:
- Elvis Presley Road Construction - Ground is expected to break on Phase 2 in first six months of 2025 and take two years
- Widening of Holmes Road - Set to begin in first three months of 2025
- Southwest Twin Drive In - Set to break ground in Feb. 2025 and take two to four years, and include a new police station, library and community space.
- More than $2,000,000 invested into 56 Security Cameras in District 9 of Shelby Co.
- Alonzo Weaver Park Project
- Whitehaven STEM Lab which should be completed in 10 months
- $5,500,000 invested or planned for the final phase of the Whitehaven YMCA Project
“I don’t want to try and get just enough, because too much is always enough,” said Ford.
However, some people at the town hall were worried not all the progress being done in the area was good. Several visitors brought up concerns around the new xAI facility, and not much being done by county leaders to hold the facility accountable.
“What are we going to do with Elon Musk? That’s a nightmare,” said Aretha Anderson, who sat in the audience of the town hall.
However, Ford stood on his voters' side and promised transparency with the future of xAI, saying if the leaders behind the facility were not a friend of the Whitehaven neighborhood, he would hold them accountable.
“If there is a move, and you don’t know about it, you contact me, and I guarantee you will know about it and there will be a response,” Ford said.