MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Opera Memphis is making a big move back to the heart of the city after selling its headquarters near Germantown.
The organization said it sold the Clark Opera Memphis Center at 6745 Wolf River Blvd on June 24, 2022. It’s part of a move that’s been planned since a committee formed in 2019 to explore locations, but was delayed due to the pandemic.
The Memphis OB-GYN Association (MOGA) confirmed Tuesday they are the purchasers of the property, and plan to consolidate two of their locations into the building.
The group is the largest OB-GYN in Memphis, and said the new location will allow their patients easier access to the facility, while being close to area hospitals to deliver babies.
"Most of our offices are in hospital complexes, meaning they are not as easy to get to, to park for most patients," said Dr. Aric Giddens, MOGA's president. "This iconic location in East Memphis not only will afford patients easy access and parking, but it will be between two great hospitals for our staff to get to easily. We're so excited to be moving in."
Additionally, MOGA said the new space will allow them to offer diagnostic mammograms, a more comprehensive, in-depth mammogram that is often required for patients who discover abnormalities in a normal mammogram, or those who need more in-depth follow-ups.
So what does this mean for the upcoming Opera Memphis season?
Leaders said the 2022-23 season will be presented at various venues and public spaces across Memphis and Shelby County. Among those performances will be one at the soon-to-open Scheidt Family Music Center at the University of Memphis - a date and time to be determined.
Opera Memphis leaders said discussions about moving first began in 2016 after Ballet Memphis’ move to Overton Square.
“The Clark Opera Memphis Center has been an amazing home for almost two decades,” said Ned Canty, Opera Memphis’ general director, in a news release. “It helped us to grow from 10 or 12 performance days a year to well over 50, but it was designed to meet the needs of who we were 20 years ago. For opera to continue expanding in Memphis, we need to be a part of the positive change and growth that have defined the past 10 years and are creating the next 10, from Crosstown Concourse and Overton Square to Northside Renaissance and TONE’s Orange Mound Tower.”
Opera Memphis has moved to temporary offices in Overton Square as a final location is still being decided, with a planned unveiling of the design for the future headquarters planned for later this summer.
For more on Opera Memphis and it’s upcoming season, visit https://www.operamemphis.org/.
