Apartments a possibility for Carrefour
Apartments may be in the future of Carrefour at the Gateway, a proposed development in Germantown's western gateway near Poplar Avenue and Kirby Parkway.
Cannon, Austin & Cannon, owners of the shopping center, presented plans for the development near Kirby and Poplar on Nov. 26 to the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The mixed-use development would include office space, retail, hotels and restaurants, according to Nelson Cannon, vice president of Cannon, Austin & Cannon. However, he did not deny apartments could be a part of the plan in the future.
"I'm going to look at anything that works with market conditions when we come for final (approval)," Cannon said after Alderman John Barzizza asked if apartments could be a possibility after the city's apartment moratorium expires in July.
This is not the first time the developers have mentioned apartments as part of the plan for Carrefour. In May, the developers asked for an exemption from the suburb's apartment moratorium, which expires in July 2019. Although three aldermen were in favor of discussing the exemption, it was not put on any agendas.
"I'm not opposed to your project," said Alderman Dean Massey, who has been strongly opposed to apartments. "I just want to know that it makes sense for us, and I want to know what the reality is going to be from the residential standpoint."
Massey suggested postponing the vote. He said he did not want the developers to make a politically motivated presentation. He said he wanted them to come out and talk about apartments.
"I just wanted straightforward answers without the political spin," Massey said, adding he was interrupted multiple times by the mayor and city officials.
"I've been honest," Cannon said strongly. "I don't want to be painted as dishonest."
"What would you like to see as far as the apartments go, the residential aspects, condos? How have things changed?" Massey asked the developers.
"We've been working on this since 2012. We've been working back and forth, back and forth with the city. We are running out of patience and time," said Henry Cannon, president of Cannon, Austin & Cannon.
Henry Cannon said this was one of several ideas they had presented.
"We know the moratorium has said no residential so we are approaching this without the residential, and we are going to continue trying to market the
tant statement of commitment to pay our employees, even those who are not full-time.”
The Memorandum of Understanding sent out by Harris’ team says the pay increase shall remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2019, or when the county’s living wage equals or exceeds $15 an hour, whichever is sooner.
Harris began circulating the memorandum a month ago shortly after his election.
Currently, the county’s living wage is set at $14.48 an hour, according to the memorandum.
The pay increase amounts to a 50cent raise for Felisa Jones, a temporary clerical specialist with the county.
Jones, the single mother of a high school student and a fifth-grader, said the $15-per-hour pay rate would mean a lot for the care of her active kids.
“Being a single mom, $15 helps a lot in my household,” Jones said in an Instagram post shared by Harris.
The initiative gained support from 16 elected county officials and county commissioners. Harris also acknowledges that the initiative is a continuation of work started by former Shelby County mayor Mark Luttrell’s administration.
The city of Memphis has seen numerous public demonstrations in support of a $15 an hour minimum wage in the past few years as the Fight for $15 movement gained momentum across the country.
Marches advocating for the $15 an hour living wage have taken place in Memphis as recently as February this year.
Exiting Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson announced in March that the school system would raise minimum pay to $15 an hour for all full-time employees.