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November 6-12, 2020, Vol. 13, Issue 45 Stryker Corp. expects Wright Medical deal to close this month P. 5 Arlington home market strong despite COVID-19 pandemic P. 5 FORMERLY THE MEMPHIS NEWS FAYETTE • TIPTON • MADISON Despite Mud Island’s neglected state, the Memphis sign is a popular spot for photos. Kaitlin Higginbotham posed Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 while her friend Katie Richmer (not shown) snapped a picture. (Patrick Lantrip/The West Tennessee News) WHAT'S NEXT FOR MUD ISLAND? Some Memphians say nothing should be off the table as city leaders consider the future of Mud Island P. 2 HEALTH CARE WORKERS DRONE TEST More than one in five new FAA extends drone test at COVID-19 cases in Shelby Memphis International County – 22% – are among Airport, FedEx hub P. 4 health care workers P.3 A Publication of The Daily News Publishing Co. 2 November 6-12, 2020 The West Tennessee News Mud Island: Big ideas come with the territory for users of the park.” City chief operating officer Doug -Mc Gowen said the upgraded entrance is a small step toward creating a vision for the park’s future.“The COO’s office and MRPP have been coordinating improvements that will make a better customer experience at the north entrance to the park,” McGowen said.“Chief among those are aesthetic im- provements that will hide the unsightly recycling bins, adding plants to soften the large gravel area on the west, and signage to create a welcoming entrance worthy of the park’s offerings,” he said.“We think these low-cost enhancements can be ac- complished in the next few months and will drive up park usership. Increased us- ership means that more people share what they would like to see through incremental changes in the short term, and will be in- clined to help to inform larger changes for the river park,” McGowen added. “While the larger vision is not yet set, there are several other impactful projects like making improvements to the amphi- The Memphis skyline is a scenic backdrop for the Memphis sign on Mud Island. (Patrick Lantrip/The West Tennessee News) theater that are generally agreed to be needed improvements,” McGowen said. The MRPP has spoken with develop- ment prospects, but Coletta declined to WAYNE RISHER model of the lower Mississippi River from time when it had a very specific, inflexible identify them or say what they proposed, The West Tennessee News Cairo, Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico; a 4,000- program — museum, amphitheater, river except to say the concepts “uniquely take A good starting point for a look at Mud seat amphitheater; and a Mississippi River walk,” Coletta said.“Today, without making advantage of Mud Island’s built and natu- Island River Park’s next 40 years might be Museum with attractions including repli- major changes in Mud Island River Park, ral assets, as well as the good memories to rehash past ideas that didn’t work out. cated sections of a three-story paddlewheel we can’t make a lot of small changes in it. so many Memphians have of Mud Island.” A $110 million music-themed amuse- steamboat and a Union gunboat. It cost $63 When you’ve got that aging infrastructure “We’ve had multiple conversations with ment park called Rakapolis, proposed million to build — the equivalent of $170 it really becomes difficult to maintain and potential investor/operator groups who are by wayward Pyramid developer Sidney million today, if adjusted for inflation.Be- difficult to repurpose,” Coletta said.The very solid and who we believe could make Shlenker. A Ferris wheel or observation fore reaching the wide-open gulf area, the Montgomery Martin construction firm as- great partners. But it’s a very tough time for wheel like the London Eye. A 500-room river model traverses a large, meandering sessed conditions in 2018 and estimated it anyone to make investment decisions in hotel and spa. A conference center. A high- courtyard enclosed by monolithic concrete would cost $18 million to repair. That num- assets that depend on travel and entertain- tech driving range by Topgolf. An upscale buildings and walls that effectively limit ber is now estimated at $24 million, MRPP ment dollars for their success,” Coletta said camping (glamping?) development. Skate otherwise spectacular river views.Mem- chief operating officer Art Davis said.If all Some community leaders say past ideas park. Dog park. Fishing pier. San Antonio- phians who have pondered the Mud Island the deferred maintenance were addressed, might still be workable, including a hotel style riverwalk.An aquarium, paired with a park’s development prospects agree lack of Mud Island would still be an updated park or a conference center or updating the University of Memphis freshwater studies access is a core issue. with an outdated theme, Coletta noted. amphitheater.Some regard the river model center and perhaps a high school, is the The original main point of entry, a During the 2019 season, the MRPP and museum as sacred, while others sug- most recent grand idea, floated in 2017 and monorail that crosses the Wolf River Har- concentrated on activating Mud Island gest nothing should be off the table as city barely mentioned since.The aquarium, po- bor from Front Street, is a major obstacle park with a series of evening concerts and leaders consider the future of one of the tentially costing $125 million, hasn’t gone to full utilization and redevelopment, they drawing visitors to a large Memphis sign city’s most valuable pieces of real estate. forward because of lack of major private contend. where they can take social media-worthy Benny Lendermon, who led the Riv- funding, although the city administration The monorail has been out of order photos with the city skyline as a backdrop. erfront Development Corp. before the hasn’t ruled it out. for a couple of years, and the MRPP’s esti- During this year of the pandemic, the MRPP took over, said whatever officials People have been coming up with ideas mate of deferred maintenance in the park operation has been scaled back and mini- ultimately decide, it becomes easier to for how to improve Mud Island almost doesn’t include getting it going again. Vari- mally staffed. The museum, gift shops and make changes as the park fades from since Memphis officials figured out the ous bridges have been proposed to make snack bars never opened, and the Missis- public consciousness.“The one good thing Mississippi River-themed park wasn’t go- additional connections, but they would be sippi River model and Gulf of Mexico ran about it is, now Mud Island is so dead you ing to be a moneymaker. costly.Instead, visitors can use a pedestrian dry. The river model is designed to have won’t have anyone concerned about doing Now it sits semi-mothballed, with a walkway above the monorail or a drive-in water levels that rise and fall with the real something else with it. Before, you couldn’t laundry list of deferred maintenance esti- entrance that enters the park on Island Mississippi’s stages.Looking ahead to next touch the Riverwalk. It was off limits. Some mated at $24 million, biding its time while Drive from residential areas on the north season, MRPP and city officials have a mod- people wanted to use it, but now you could Tom Lee Park awaits a $60 million make- end of the peninsula known as Mud Island. est plan to spruce up the drive-in entrance do away with it if someone didn’t want to over.The Memphis River Parks Partnership The pedestrian walkway has been closed on Island Drive and make other improve- use the Riverwalk,” Lendermon said. (MRPP), which operates city-owned Mud for utility upgrades, but is due to reopen ments in the park.The gated north entrance MRPP officials said visitation actually island, says its priority is completing Tom by Nov. 9.The amphitheater needs about $2 on Mud Island sits beneath the Hernando ticked up in 2019 from previous levels, but Lee Park’s design and getting a two-year million in safety and maintenance work to DeSoto (Interstate 40) Bridge. A security they didn’t promote the park or hold spe- construction project there underway. be functional, plus another $8.4 million if it checkpoint has been minimally staffed in cial events in 2020 because of social dis- The MRPP and city officials say Tom is to be brought up to modern standards for recent years. tancing issues. Attendance figures weren’t Lee Park comes first because it will af- lighting and sound equipment, restrooms To reach the entrance, people drive available because admission is free. fect more people, and Mud Island’s future and food service.The MRPP asked the city past a row of recycling bins on one side and When numbers were kept, park atten- is more complicated and challenging to for $2 million for the amphitheater ear- maintenance and storage compounds used dance steadily declined from about a mil- figure out.Virtually everyone agrees Mud lier this year and received $200,000. It also by the MRPP on either side.Plans call for lion in the early years to 170,000 in 2016. Island River Park needs to be reimagined, received $337,877 in unspent funds from the recycling bins and one of the utility ar- Asked if parts of the park should be although even in its deteriorated state, its prior years for small repairs at the park. eas to be screened by partitions containing protected, Coletta said, “Why would we stunning setting between river and harbor MRPP chief executive officer Carol artwork.

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