The Commercial Appeal Weighs In On Graceland
Commercial Appeal Editorial: Disappointment in Whitehaven
Expansion of Graceland is on hold, but that must not dampen the city's efforts to improve the surrounding area.News that plans for a makeover of Graceland have been put on indefinite hold probably have many Whitehaven residents shaking their heads in disappointment.
The $250 million plan announced in 2007 was seen as the catalyst to bring quality retail and eateries back to the Elvis Presley Boulevard corridor. Now a bad capital funds market resulting from the still-recovering economy has led Graceland's landlord, CKx Inc., to announce in its annual report that the makeover, if it ever takes place, is years away.
That's not only a blow to Whitehaven, but also a break in the synergy that city and tourism officials are trying to build between current and future tourist attractions such as a redeveloped fairgrounds, Beale Street Landing, Memphis Zoo, Beale Street, Shelby Farms, Bass Pro Shops and the Pinch, and the Memphis International Raceway near Millington.
Many of the 600,000 people who visit Graceland each year could be expected to extend their stay in Memphis to see some of those other attractions, boosting tourism revenues to local governments and profits for nearby businesses.
CKx's then-chairman, Robert F.X. Sillerman, in 2007 announced plans for a major expansion of Graceland's visitors center and the addition of new shops and attractions, along with a new hotel. But Sillerman left CKx last year during a major restructuring, perhaps taking with him some of the company's enthusiasm for the ambitious project.
And for now, the Elvis Presley Boulevard corridor remains for the most part an eyesore.
That fact reflects badly on Whitehaven because it feeds the perception that the entire area is in a state of decay. The truth is that most of Whitehaven consists of attractive, well-preserved subdivisions, and the area has one of the highest median household incomes in the city.
And frankly, it's embarrassing that a tourist attraction that draws as many visitors a year as Graceland has so few amenities for visitors in the surrounding area. Amenities such as restaurants and retail shops would benefit Whitehaven residents as well as tourists, and would garner increased sales tax revenue for the city.
Memphis city officials have repeatedly emphasized that redeveloping the Elvis Presley corridor remains one of the city's priorities. Mayor A C Wharton is asking for $1.8 million in the next capital improvement budget to prepare for the overhaul of Elvis Presley Boulevard. The project will include widening the boulevard and adding esthetic touches such as a median.
But that's just a start. The corridor is lined with deteriorating businesses, some vacant and others occupied. Any thoughts about removing them would be an expensive proposition for the city from a capital and legal expense standpoint. But the city could set and enforce tougher building codes to force the business owners to take better care of their property.
Elvis Presley Boulevard is Whitehaven's Main Street. Making the necessary changes to reflect that won't be easy and will take time.
But in this case, time is money. Memphis and the state will continue to lose sales tax revenue as long as tourists and Whitehaven residents shop and eat in nearby DeSoto County, instead of in Whitehaven.
Expansion of Graceland is on hold, but that must not dampen the city's efforts to improve the surrounding area.News that plans for a makeover of Graceland have been put on indefinite hold probably have many Whitehaven residents shaking their heads in disappointment.
The $250 million plan announced in 2007 was seen as the catalyst to bring quality retail and eateries back to the Elvis Presley Boulevard corridor. Now a bad capital funds market resulting from the still-recovering economy has led Graceland's landlord, CKx Inc., to announce in its annual report that the makeover, if it ever takes place, is years away.
That's not only a blow to Whitehaven, but also a break in the synergy that city and tourism officials are trying to build between current and future tourist attractions such as a redeveloped fairgrounds, Beale Street Landing, Memphis Zoo, Beale Street, Shelby Farms, Bass Pro Shops and the Pinch, and the Memphis International Raceway near Millington.
Many of the 600,000 people who visit Graceland each year could be expected to extend their stay in Memphis to see some of those other attractions, boosting tourism revenues to local governments and profits for nearby businesses.
CKx's then-chairman, Robert F.X. Sillerman, in 2007 announced plans for a major expansion of Graceland's visitors center and the addition of new shops and attractions, along with a new hotel. But Sillerman left CKx last year during a major restructuring, perhaps taking with him some of the company's enthusiasm for the ambitious project.
And for now, the Elvis Presley Boulevard corridor remains for the most part an eyesore.
That fact reflects badly on Whitehaven because it feeds the perception that the entire area is in a state of decay. The truth is that most of Whitehaven consists of attractive, well-preserved subdivisions, and the area has one of the highest median household incomes in the city.
And frankly, it's embarrassing that a tourist attraction that draws as many visitors a year as Graceland has so few amenities for visitors in the surrounding area. Amenities such as restaurants and retail shops would benefit Whitehaven residents as well as tourists, and would garner increased sales tax revenue for the city.
Memphis city officials have repeatedly emphasized that redeveloping the Elvis Presley corridor remains one of the city's priorities. Mayor A C Wharton is asking for $1.8 million in the next capital improvement budget to prepare for the overhaul of Elvis Presley Boulevard. The project will include widening the boulevard and adding esthetic touches such as a median.
But that's just a start. The corridor is lined with deteriorating businesses, some vacant and others occupied. Any thoughts about removing them would be an expensive proposition for the city from a capital and legal expense standpoint. But the city could set and enforce tougher building codes to force the business owners to take better care of their property.
Elvis Presley Boulevard is Whitehaven's Main Street. Making the necessary changes to reflect that won't be easy and will take time.
But in this case, time is money. Memphis and the state will continue to lose sales tax revenue as long as tourists and Whitehaven residents shop and eat in nearby DeSoto County, instead of in Whitehaven.
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