The Central Station Hotel Puts Fresh Spin on Memphis Music
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PRINT EDITION JUST $99 PER YEAR Covering local news, politics, and more Covering Memphis Since 1886 Channel 10 Friday nights at 7 MEMPHISDAILYNEWS.COM Tuesday, June 11, 2019 MemphisDailyNews.com Vol. 134 | No. 93 Rack–50¢/Delivery–39¢ White says Speaker’s race needs ‘consensus’ candidate SAM STOCKARD the floor. But several members are being each other … and come up with White said. Courtesy of The Daily Memphian Only three people have offi- mentioned for the post and more a consensus candidate or two The chairman of the House NASHVILLE – With a jumble cially declared their candidacy seem to be entering the race al- or three.” Education Committee is ame- of House Republicans taking aim for the House Speaker’s post most daily. Otherwise, the House Re- nable to having a special ses- at the House Speaker’s seat, Re- being vacated by Glen Casada, With the list growing, White, publican Caucus, which holds a sion this summer to select a publican Rep. Mark White says embroiled in a racist and sexist of East Memphis, said he has 73-26 edge over Democrats, will permanent speaker to replace “consensus” candidates are nec- texting scandal and questions talked to several candidates and run into a “difficult” time select- essary before the vote goes to about heavy-handed leadership. urged them to “sit down with ing a replacement for Casada, WHITE CONTINUED ON P3 for the hospitality industry, at least in Memphis. Building’s new mission Prominent Memphis developer Henry Turley and The Central Station Hotel puts his partner Archie Willis are the master developers for the $55 million Central Station project. They already have finished building 182 new apartment units on the station grounds they lease fresh spin on Memphis music from Memphis Area Transit Authority. And Malco Theatres this spring opened the seven-screen Pow- erhouse movie theater after converting the site’s old power plant. But the use for the eight-story Central Station had to change, Turley felt. The structure opened in 1914 as offices over the train station, and later was converted to apartments. “What does this property want to be?” he said before answering his own question. “A hotel.” Travelers should arrive at a hotel, not someone else’s residences, Turley said. The person who should develop the new hotel was just as obvious to Turley. In fall 2014, he called McLean Wilson. Concourse brain trust “It was a call you can’t say ‘no’ to,” Wilson said of the chance to redevelop such an important, his- toric building in his hometown and to partner with Turley. “He’s one of those guys who provides energy. He gives life when you are around him all the time.” Until a few years ago, Wilson was best known as the grandson of the late Kemmons Wilson, who founded Holiday Inn. But then the 41-year-old achieved something titanic himself. Wilson was co-leader with Todd Richardson in renovating the 1.2 million-square-foot Crosstown Concourse. The $200 million project not only suc- ceeded in filling the long-vacant Sears Tower with tenants and life, it has received top, national awards for architectural design, urban design, historic pres- McLean Wilson hopes that the new Central Station redevelopment will strengthen the growing South Main and South City areas ervation and land planning. of Downtown. (Patrick Lantrip/Courtesy of The Daily Memphian) So in 2015 Wilson recruited the same Crosstown brain trust to help him make The Central Station Ho- TOM BAILEY as September. design, finishes and feel should reflect tel a special place: Richardson; Michael Carpenter Courtesy of The Daily Memphian Whether guests arrive to the lobby by that of a high-end, boutique hotel. of the Loaded for Bear marketing strategy firm; and After 20 months of work converting train or car, they may look to the left to But what guests will see and experi- Chris Miner of Crosstown Arts. the 105-year-old building from apart- see the registration desk and outside pa- ence straight ahead — through the wide Wilson added to that creative team Jim ments, the doors to the The Central Sta- tio, or to the right to see cushy furniture staircase opening that descends 20 steps tion Hotel lobby will fling open as soon and a 27-foot-wide art wall. The lobby’s to the hotel bar – may expand the limits HOTEL CONTINUED ON P2 INSIDE Columns ............................ 3 memphisdailynews.com chandlerreports.com Public Records ................ 4 ©2019 The Daily News Publishing Company A division of The Daily News Publishing Company Memphis, Tennessee The standard for premium real estate Established 1886 • 134th year information since 1968 Public Notices ............... 12 Call 901.523.1561 to subscribe Call 901.458.6419 for more information Page 2 MemphisDailyNews.com Tuesday, June 11, 2019 500 photos Developers of The Central Station Hotel dispatched Memphis photographer Jamie Harmon to take several train trips cover- ing the 925 miles between Chicago and New Orleans. We decided to let it bleed into He took photographs along the line, the art world, too. So Anna both in and from the train and in many of has been curating art from the towns and cities where the City of New Orleans stops. Chicago and New Orleans and, Three or four photos – from big ones of course, Memphis” over the bed to smaller ones in the bathroom – will be hung in each of the guestrooms. –McLean Wilson “There’s going to be 500 photos in the tower,” Wilson said. “… It was a way of ty- “turntables at the base of the record cabinet. ing us to the train and to Chicago and New The deejay will grab albums by climbing up Orleans and everywhere in between.” a large set of stairs that angle up to the top Harmon is a professional photographer of the cabinet. who also owns Amurica, the whimsical The sound quality should be supe- photo booth made from a teardrop camper. rior considering that the speakers will “I love his perspective, his eye, his angles be supplied and installed by Thompson’s and the attitude in which he photographs,” EgglestonWorks. Wilson said. “We want this room to be a beautiful Rooms with a view acoustic blanket that just gets put onto the Large windows and tall ceilings define Rendering of The Central Station Hotel bar. (Looney & Associates) space,” Wilson said. the guestrooms. The developers intend the hotel music Some rooms offer a view of the Missis- lounge to become South Main’s living room. sippi River, one or both highway bridges “We think it’s going to be a really neat across it, South Main, the Downtown tow- spot. We are projecting into this acousti- ers, FedExForum and more. cally designed room Memphis music from “Tell me this isn’t awesome; I mean, all genres and all years and all walks of look at this,” Wilson said while looking Memphis life.” out of what he calls the “money room.” The Wooden dials space commands the northwest corner of Guests register in the lobby, walk down the eighth floor, with views of both bridges the stairs, hear and experience the mu- and across Downtown. sic lounge if only for the moment it takes “We thought it important to have the to reach the elevators, and enter their windows to be the heroes of the rooms,” he guestroom. said. “We wanted the windows to be the fo- “What they will see on a table is going cal point because you get such great views to be a beautiful wood dial. Hopefully, it of Memphis.” will be a point of attraction,” Wilson said. Restaurant, retail and banquet hall “… You turn the dial, and out of the The 3,500-square-foot hotel restaurant speaker that EgglestonWorks has made and bar will anchor the ground-floor corner specifically for the hotel rooms comes this at South Main and G.E. Patterson, across Rendering of The Central Station Hotel exterior. (LRK) music. from The Arcade. The name and details “And at some point, the guest will have a about the restaurant will come later. moment of discovery when they realize that Two, 3,500-square-foot retail spaces HOTEL CONTINUED FROM P1 “And then you see the bar,” Wilson said the song they just heard, walking past the will flank each side of the restaurant. Let- of a guest looking through the staircase bar to the elevator, they are now hearing in ters of intent have been signed for retail Thompson, owner and president of Egg- opening to the hotel bar below. their room. It’s the same song.” tenants, but since the leases are not signed lestonWorks. That’s the maker of high-end “What you see in that bar is really im- Piping the same curated music from the Wilson declined to name the businesses. loudspeakers which are sold across the portant,” said Wilson. He and his creative hotel bar to each hotel room gives a second The banquet room, dubbed “Grand world but manufactured in a nondescript group identified as a “moment” that first meaning to “The Central Station Hotel.” Hall,” comprises 6,000 square feet. There industrial building in the Broad Avenue glimpse into the bowels of the hotel. The music lounge becomes a kind of ra- is another 1,700 square feet of pre-func- Arts District. The first rendering created by the proj- dio station for Memphis music. tion space, and the hotel will offer two Three questions ect’s interior designers showed a beautiful, Typical hotels might place a USA Today boardrooms. Wilson charged his friends with an- massive, wood bar.