Partnership aims to transform Memphis riverfront, Tom Lee Park

As board chair for the Memphis River Parks Partnership and former board chair for Memphis in May International Festival, I have a unique perspective on the plans for Tom Lee Park. And it is unequivocal that there is no conflict between the continued success of our festival and creating the most spectacular park on the Mississippi River.

The progress and momentum of Memphis are built on partnerships, and there’s no other partnership underway with as wide-ranging an impact of a re-imagined and rebooted riverfront. It’s not only our most visible and most valuable real estate, but its value remains to be tapped in a way that can grow our economy, expand the tourism industry, create jobs and spark new downtown development.

Because of it, this is a decision that is not either-or but both. As a centerpiece of a transformed riverfront, a remade Tom Lee Park — with Memphis in May as a key user — makes everything downtown more valuable and achieves our goal of multiplying the impact of every investment that we make. Already, just the prospect of a new Tom Lee Park is getting Memphis on the list of “must visit” cities for the next year — and that’s not even factoring in the positive impact of a new environment and enhanced experience for everyone attending Memphis in May.

The needs of the festival have been a high priority for The Partnership even before we began the design process. Input from Memphis in May shaped the next steps in the design process, but it was only the first of many meetings and communications with festival officials to make sure the park would not only respond to their needs but exceed them. 

That is exactly what we have managed to do. 

To demonstrate our commitment as a partner, we have spent more than $100,000 for additional design and planning work as a result of Memphis in May’s comments. As a result, Tom Lee Park has been designed with Memphis in May’s specifications in mind, and because of it, the park includes three huge lawns for festival stages. 

In addition, in support of Memphis in May, there are relocated utilities, new access roads, better load-in/load-out and strategically located hard scapes. The design will reduce damage to the park from the festival and we expect it to reduce the remediation costs that Memphis in May pays every year — this year it was more than $60,000. In other words, the design of Tom Lee Park means that the jewel of a park will enhance a jewel of a festival. 

That is as it should be. 

As Mayor Jim Strickland accurately points out, Memphis is on a roll with momentum we’ve not seen in more than a decade. A renewed riverfront responds directly to his “build up, not out” mantra and also to Memphis 3.0’s mandate to leverage undervalued city anchors for economic and population growth. We applaud his leadership for this historic opportunity to turn 95 years of plans about a great riverfront into the reality of one of the best riverfronts in the country.  

I remember the early days of Memphis in May when its founders reminded those of us on the board that they began the festival to improve the city’s national image. They reminded us to leverage our unique assets like music and barbecue as competitive advantages to expand our economy, to break down walls between Memphians and to rebrand our city. 

Those are the same motivations that guide us at the Partnership today as we work with the public to transform our riverfront into an active, exciting and more vibrant place 365 days a year rather than 10 days in May. 

As part of our planning process, we have held workshops, taken surveys, and convened working groups. From these, one thing is clear: When we consider what we want Memphis to be in its third century and what best represents who we are and who we want to be, it is Tom Lee Park that points the way to the future.

Ray Pohlman is board chairman of the Memphis River Parks Partnership.