Winchester Park / Intown Charrette Report and Plan A Study Prepared for the City of Memphis, Tennessee Based on the July 2006 Charrette by the Knight Program in Community Building, University of Miami School of Architecture Charrette Team and Sponsors University of Miami Knight Program Consultants URBANART Staff Volunteers Charrette Sponsors School of Architecture Dougal Hewitt Elizabeth Alley Steve Auterman University of Miami Knight Program in Bon Secours Richmond Health System Carissa Hussong Wain Gaskins Community Building Faculty Parry LaGro Melanie Spillman Holly Hendrix UrbanArt Commission Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk Kathy Helm Associates, Inc. Rachel Thompson Emilie Johnson Charles C. Bohl Bill Lennertz Laura Caroline Johnson Additional Funding Joanna Lombard National Charrette Institute Memphis Medical Center Susan Mallory LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center Jaime Correa Maggie Connor Beth Flanagan Annie McKinzie Memphis Area Association of Realtors Urban Design Associates Yvonne Moody Memphis Community Development Knight Program Staff Nadia Rachel Partnership Andrea Gollin University of Miami Denise Richardson National Association of Realtors St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Kim Kuether Pou Suburb and Town Design Sallie Sabbatini Natalie Bixby Brenda Buford Shaw Funding for Special Events Graduate Students Charles Shipp, Jr. Community Capital Knight Program Fellows Sherry Abramson Adrienne Tilton Looney Ricks Kiss Architects Russell Bloodworth Christopher Carrigan David Walker Memphis Medical Center Geoff Dyer David Danker Patrick Weber Jonathan Ford Daniel DeAngelo Belz Enterprises Glenn Kellogg Santiago Jimenez St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Henry Turley Company Joseph Molinaro Steven Mast Karen Barfield McCormack Baron Salazar Karin Morris Mariavijay Mohankumar Gary Bridgman Mary Newsom David Roman Bishop Don Johnson Additional Support Steve Rhoades Joachim Perez Betsy Owen ASAP Staffing Services Tony Sease Jason Soiffer Alfred Pearson carpenter|sullivan|sossaman Janet Seibert Joseph Warfield Mary Pearson The City of Memphis Kristopher Smith Memphis and Shelby Co. Division of Monica Smith Planning & Development Memphis Redbirds St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Thanks to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its support of Knight Program initiatives. The Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 US communities. Winchester Park/Intown Charrette Report and Plan 2 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 4 5.14 Historic Preservation, Cultural Heritage, the Arts 6 5.15 Healthy Neighborhood Initiative 64 2. Introduction 6 5.16 Images of Transformation 65 . Context and History 12 5.17 Implementation Strategy: Charrette Stewardship Group 67 .1 Introduction 1 6. Appendix 68 .2 Regional Context 14 6.1 A Summary of Input from Public Meetings 69 . Regional Centers and Corridors 15 .4 Historic Street Patterns 16 .5 Regional Population 17 .6 Historical Context 18 .6.1 Medical Center History 20 4. Existing Conditions 21 4.1 Introduction 22 4.2 Major Themes 2 4. Neighborhood and Types of Uses 24 4..1 Health Care Facilities 25 4..2 Churches 27 4.. Parks and Green Spaces 28 4.4 Residential Architecture 29 4.5 Code Enforcement 2 5. Master Plan 33 5.1 Guiding Principles 4 5.2 The Master Plan 5 5. Charrette Recommendations 6 5.4 Health Care Facilities 9 5.4.1 Connectivity 40 5.4.2 Streetscape 41 5.4. Signage 42 5.4.4 “Towerscape” 4 5.5 Market Conditions and Potential 44 5.6 Making Connections: Streets, Shuttle, Bike Routes, Greenways 46 5.7 Parks 5 5.8 St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral Development 56 5.9 Expansion to Memphis Union Mission 58 5.10 Uptown Retail Center and St. Jude’s Gateway 59 5.11 Housing Rehab and Infill 60 5.12 Problem Properties 61 5.1 Zoning 62 Winchester Park/Intown Charrette Report and Plan 1. Executive Summary Winchester Park/Intown Charrette Report and Plan 4 Executive Summary n early 2006, Memphis was selected urbanism that advocates the planning and to surface about ways in which the study Homes/Legends Park plan and make police, code enforcement, land use by the Knight Program in Community design of livable urban neighborhoods that area could be improved through a series maintaining a continuous network departments, and existing residents Building at the University of Miami are walkable, diverse, and economically of physical design proposals, as well as (vehicular, pedestrian, bike, and to eradicate dangerous activities I wheelchair/disabled) a priority and non-contributing structures. School of Architecture to be the site of sustainable, with shopping, civic through policy and management measures. its annual charrette effort for 2006. The institutions, parks, and jobs within easy Two “pin-up” sessions were held during the ∙ reinvent the Poplar, North Parkway, 10. Engage existing indigent missions purpose of the charrette, an intensive access of residents. charrette, in which residents could see and and Dunlap thoroughfares into “Grand programs in the area to change customer week-long public design workshop, was to comment on preliminary ideas the team was Avenues” through cost effective movement during “closed” periods by develop a vision and plan to help facilitate The Memphis charrette was the fifth considering. This feedback was distilled and improvements forming a task force of public, private, the revitalization of Winchester Park/ charrette conducted by the Knight Program culminated in final design ideas that were 3. Use campaniles – bell towers, and nonprofit agencies and designers Intown. The charrette was held July 17-22, in Community Building: previous charrettes shown at the final presentation. clock towers, and other slender to work with the missions to improve 2006. The charrette host and local sponsor were held in Macon, GA, San Jose, CA, tower elements – to help create a facilities by including courtyards and was the UrbanArt Commission. Coatesville, PA, and Duluth, MN. The The charrette resulted in 101 recommended distinctive identity for each of the creating secure gathering places. Knight Program is supported by the John strategic actions for Winchester Park/ numerous medical institutions in The Winchester Park/Intown neighborhood L. and James S. Knight Foundation. The Intown (see section 5.3). That list of 11. Strengthen the three existing the study area, enhance the skyline, is at a crossroads. A once-thriving Knight Foundation promotes excellence in recommendations was the underpinning neighborhoods by bolstering and provide better wayfinding. community, it is now faced with many journalism worldwide and invests in the for the formulation of 12 key community existing housing programs and challenges including crime, high poverty vitality of 26 U.S. communities. building strategies, or guiding principles, 4. Infill the numerous vacant residential through the creation of small parks, rates, and property in severe physical for the area: parcels with new housing with and drainage improvements. distress. At the same time, the neighborhood The intent of the charrette process was sensitivity to the existing urban 12. Launch a “Healthy Neighborhood has a valuable resource in the Memphis to identify specific design, policy, and 1. Adopt a master plan and a form-based context (e.g., character and scale of Initiative” through a partnership Medical Center and an influx of new management recommendations for the code that coordinate public, private, surroundings) to enhance the character between the Medical Center, the city, investment and new jobs could provide a revitalization of the study area. The master and nonprofit investments to create a of streets and neighborhoods for and other stakeholders that creates catalyst for transforming Winchester Park/ plan and recommendations provide a distinctive area of the city with a strong long-term residential stakeholders a targeted program to help existing Intown into a vital, attractive neighborhood framework for preserving what citizens sense of place and blends medical as well as new residents. residents of Winchester Park/Intown in which to live and work. love most about their neighborhood’s facilities with livable neighborhoods, 5. Establish a Community Development participate in the revitalization of the character and its past while enabling new building a new pattern that: Corporation for the area or area through assistance in the areas During the charrette, the 30-plus-member development to sensitively blend in and ∙ creates distinct neighborhoods, each extend the existing CDC adjacent of housing, jobs and job training, charrette team worked with business enhance the community’s character and with its own vibrant center and public to the area to provide tools for education, health care, community professionals, local officials, city staff, sense of place. gathering places residential infill and rehab within gardens, and other initiatives. medical institutions, local organizations, the neighborhoods and mixed-use clubs, nonprofit groups, churches, and After a well-attended opening presentation ∙ links the institutions and The charrette team recommended that revitalization along the corridors. residents from the city and surrounding and visioning exercise, part of the neighborhoods with attractive, Memphis form a charrette stewardship area. The Memphis community was invited charrette team spent the next several days pedestrian-friendly boulevards and 6. Transform existing parks into safe group to move the charrette vision forward. to share opinions and ideas for the future conducting