MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Significant changes are on the horizon for downtown Memphis following Mayor Paul Young's announcement of plans to enhance the area's safety, aesthetics and tourism.
These plans are now reaching Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), where CEO Doug McGowen stated that some alterations to their building have been necessary for over a decade, and there is now a possibility that their headquarters may be relocating.
Young's recent rollout of plans to improve downtown has gained the attention of many businesses and local agencies. The city council today passed a resolution for MLGW to develop a plan to relocate their headquarters within downtown Memphis in the next 2-5 years, including the associated costs.
"I think we all agree that y'all want to stay downtown," said city councilman Philip Spinosa, who sponsored the resolution, during the council meeting. "It would be great for that to take place. So this is really just us making a formal reservation."
Less than a mile away from MLGW's headquarters sits Alcenia's World Famous Soul Food.
"We've been here for 27 years, and we ain't going nowhere," said owner Betty Joyce 'BJ' Chester-Tamayo, who has an extensive history in the Pinch District.
"I lost my only child in a motorcycle accident, so I was trying to think of a way to survive," she said. "The only thing I knew that brought people together in my neighborhood was my mother's cooking."
She mentions that most of her customers are tourists, but some of her regulars work in buildings like MLGW. She supports the initiatives the city proposes to help attract more business and beautify the city, as long as the efforts are evenly distributed.
"I can remember another mayor saying that when the city does well, the whole city does well and the whole downtown benefits," Chester-Tamayo said. "I'm just hoping that as we stop having crime, it's going to get better for everyone."
The resolution does not necessarily call for MLGW to move from its current address but rather to at least come up with a plan to see what a move would look like. For example, how much would it cost to move? And how much would the current building and property possibly sell for? McGowen said he'd be content just renovating the current building, but if the city comes to him with a potential buyer to repurpose the high-profile location at South Main and Beale Streets, then that might be worth serious consideration.