Memphis in May founders want mayor to end mediation
A group that includes some founders of the Memphis in May International Festival wants Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to end mediation between festival organizers and the Memphis River Parks Partnership, which has plans to renovate Tom Lee Park.
They want the confidential mediation, which started in March, set aside until after a comprehensive revised plan for the city’s six miles of riverfront is created. They also want the Strickland administration to host a series of openended town hall meetings where a vision for the whole waterfront is discussed. And, they want all this to happen before the October election.
Lyman Aldrich, the first president of Memphis in May, said the festival was created to revive Downtown Memphis and bring “all the people in Memphis” together.
“Here we are, 42-43 years later and we’re basically trying to save what we put together,” Aldrich said. “We want everybody to have input with what’s going on with the riverfront. The riverfront is six-anda-half-miles. The riverfront isn’t just Tom Lee Park. It’s Mud Island, it’s the Green Way, it’s MLK Park.”
After learning about the group’s proposal through The Commercial Appeal, Strickland said, “It’s odd that the proponents didn’t send that directly to me when I’ve been in direct communication with at least two of them. I certainly appreciate their opinions and will look at their suggestions seriously.”
Katherine Burgess and Samuel Hardiman
Group ties requests to election
The group, which said they spoke as
citizens and not representatives of current Memphis in May organizers, want the public meetings and plan to be formulated before the October municipal elections.
“Input from the people of Memphis should be incorporated in the resulting comprehensive riverfront development plan,” they wrote in a memo given to The Commercial Appeal Editorial Board. “This must occur as soon as possible, well before the next Memphis election in October 2019.”
As for why this needs to happen before the October election, entrepreneur Randy Blevins, who spent 10 years on the Memphis in May staff, said there’s been a “political campaign” to sell the city on the renovation plan.
“The only entity, individual who has oversight of MRPP would be the mayor, who signs the contracts, and the City Council, who provides the funding,” Blevins said. “The best way to make your voice heard and rattle the cage so to speak is before the election.”
The festival had an economic impact of $137 million in 2018 and brings in $3.5 million in local tax revenues. In February, the Memphis River Parks Partnership announced the addition of shade trees and small hills centered around three open lawns, leading Memphis in May leaders and supporters to voice concerns about fitting the Beale Street Music Festival and annual barbecue competition into the renovated space.
Plan dates back to ‘Memphis Riverfront Concept’
The group said they want to see a plan for all the riverfront parks. However, a “Memphis Riverfront Concept” addressing all six miles of the city’s riverfront was published in 2017. It included plans for Mud Island, Greenbelt Park, Tom Lee Park and more.
That concept was published “after a comprehensive engagement process that gathered comments from thousands of Memphians,” the partnership said in a statement.
Since April 2018, Memphis River Parks Partnership has begun implementing parts of the concept, including the River Garden, River Line and Cobblestone Landing.
“The design for Tom Lee Park is built on the concept, as well as hundreds of additional surveys of park users, the input of local teenagers through the Youth Design Leadership program and key stakeholders like Memphis in May organizers,” the partnership said.
Memphis in May was circumspect Friday.
“The mediation between Memphis in May and MRPP is ongoing and we are hopeful that a decision will be reached soon regarding Memphis in May’s use of Tom Lee Park in 2020. Out of respect for the continuing mediation process, we have no other comment at this time,” Robert Griffin, spokesman for the festival, said in a statement.
The $60 million renovations announced in February also proposed shaded activity courts, a habitat tower overlooking the Mississippi and recreation paths through a wilder landscape toward the southern end of the park.
The project will be funded by philanstate thropic donations as well as $10 million from tourism development funds, $10 million to be disbursed over three years from Shelby County Government and a match of $10 million.
“They went at it as a park and then looked at it in relationship to Memphis in May later,” said Rodney Baber, who was on the first Memphis in May board and president in 1979. “In my opinion, I’m a little biased here, if you were going to do something with Tom Lee Park, you’d start with the $137 economic impact Memphis in May had last year . ... Why would you risk an ingot of gold we’ve built over 42 years to upgrade the park?”
Denise Bollheimer, who participated with the festival for years as a volunteer, said people also want to know about plans for covering the costs of maintenance, safety and restoration of the park after Memphis in May.
She’s also concerned that Memphis in May officials might agree to a renovation plan that would harm it due to the importance of staying downtown with a view of the river and the proximity of hotels and restaurants.
The group is also involved with the “Memphis WAKE UP” Facebook page.
Katherine Burgess covers county government, religion and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess @commercialappeal.com, 901-5292799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.