7.21.06

New Intown
Renovation for area linking St. Jude, Le Bonheur

Matthew Craig/The Commercial Appeal
Memphis architect Charles Shipp (right) and his son, Charles, look over aerial photographs of Memphis Thursday in the crypt of St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Poplar. The crypt is being used as a workspace for urban planners who are designing a new community in the area known as Intown.

By Alex Doniach

The apothecary at 568 Poplar stands apart from the run-down pawn shops and vacant, trash-strewn lots that line the road.

The brick building is new, the land is well manicured and there's a hanging sign that reads "BTI Community Drugstore, Taylor Brown Apothecary."

Owner Dr. Ivory Taylor is well aware that his property stands apart in a neighborhood full of "absentee property owners and slumlords," but he believes future investment in this area will turn the property into a gold mine.

"Within seven to 10 years, Memphis is going to be a mecca for medical research," Taylor said. "They are expanding the medical facilities, and we are sitting in the right position to gain from the developments underway."

Taylor's vision represents a critical link in the billion-dollar urban development project that is taking place in the neighborhood sandwiched between St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

To transform the area from an "urban wasteland" into a neighborhood brimming with pedestrians, new community-based businesses need to invest and open shop, said Russell Bloodworth, executive director of Boyle Investment Co.

Bloodworth is part of a team of more than 30 local and national architects, city planners, developers and residents of Winchester Park who have worked intently this week to plan the region bordered by North Parkway, Interstate 240, Jefferson and Danny Thomas Boulevard.

The project, which got under way Monday, is funded by a $300,000 grant from the Knight Program in Community Building at the University of Miami's School of Architecture.

The Knight Program chooses a different U.S. neighborhood to renovate each year, and this Memphis area, known as Intown, was the chosen site for 2006.

Charles Bohl, director of the project, said this area is unique because of the existing medical facilities that are now expanding. St. Jude has poured $1 billion and Le Bonheur $235 million into renovations.

The fellows will link the expansions in the hope of spurring community development and retail investment.

"These plans were done independently and haven't been woven together," Bohl said. "When we weave all of these plans together, that will create a greater sense of place."

The fellows aim to create close-knit neighborhoods where residents can walk to restaurants and shops.

Another goal is to decrease the width of roads to slow down traffic and encourage the use of crosswalks.

On Thursday night, about 30 residents gathered at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Poplar and Manassas to review large poster boards mounted with the prospective plans.

Sandra Hill said she was excited by the ideas.

"A big concern is establishing communities where you do not have to transport by car to access everyday affairs," Hill said. "I like the idea of a full-scale neighborhood grocery store so that people don't have to drive to Kroger. And a laundromat would also be great."

Taylor was also optimistic about the plans, adding that close-knit communities will increase security in the area.

"We need neighborhoods where people link to each other, and that's not going on here," Taylor said. "If we had a close community where neighbors talked, then you would not see outside crime coming in."

Taylor said he envisions great potential for the area.

"If I didn't, I would haven't spent every last penny to build this business," he said.

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The Knight Program in Community Building

What: A program at the University of Miami's School of Architecture that chooses a different U.S. neighborhood to renovate each year

Where: "Intown" is this year's selection, an area in Memphis bordered by North Parkway, Interstate 240, Jefferson and Danny Thomas Boulevard

When: The Knight fellows' final presentation will be held 5 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, 692 Poplar

Information: 525-0880