March 6-12, 2020, Vol. 13, Issue 10 Memphis DoubleTree to become part of Marriott’s Historic, 165-year-old Annesdale Mansion on the market Autograph Collection of boutique hotels P. 3 for $5 million P. 6 FORMERLY THE MEMPHIS NEWS FAYETTE • TIPTON • MADISON A man looks over buildings destroyed by storms Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding buildings and killing multiple people. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) A 'MASSIVE ACT OF NATURE' Lives lost, buildings and homes destroyed as tornadoes slam Nashville and wreak havoc across the state P. 2 STRONG SHOWING RENOVATIONS Joe Biden takes Shelby Bartlett High School County and the state renovations progressing handily in the Democratic with recent opening of new presidential primary on cafeteria and other upgrades Super Tuesday P. 4 to come P. 5 A Publication of The Daily News Publishing Co. 2 March 6-12, 2020 The West Tennessee News 23 reported killed as tornadoes slam Nashville, wreak havoc across state A man walks through storm debris following a deadly tornado Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding buildings and killing multiple people. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) SAM STOCKARD hardest-hit neighborhoods. People were The West Tennessee News asked to log on to hon.org to find out how A “massive act of nature” killed 23 to help, according to Cooper. people and destroyed buildings and Nashville alone had 48 buildings col- homes from Benton County to downtown lapsed and two killed as 30 firefighters Nashville, Mt. Juliet and Cookeville early sustained injuries while trying to rescue Tuesday, March 3, leaving people’s lives victims, according Nashville Fire Depart- shattered as emergency workers searched ment Director William Swann. for more missing people, officials said. “We’re resilient. … We’re looking for Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emer- people to come together as one,” Swann gency and was to tour the state in a heli- said in a press conference Tuesday copter later in the day to survey the extent morning. of the storm. More than 150 people were trans- He had already requested federal aid ported as Nashville Fire Department re- early Tuesday, March 3. sponded to 400 calls, according to Swann. “It is a very tragic and difficult day in In downtown Nashville, the damage Tennessee, but this is where people come was widespread, touching down first in together for redemption (in response to) the Germantown area, just north of the tragedy,” Lee said. State Capitol and along Jefferson Street, “We will take a difficult situation and smashing businesses and apartment do the most we can.” buildings. Lee said “extensive damage” was re- The storm appeared to touch down ported from West Tennessee to East Ten- again in East Nashville in the Five Points nessee with people killed in four coun- area, obliterating old homes and build- ties and many more reported missing. ings such as the Basement East concert Fourteen of the dead were reported in venue. Cookeville. “It’s going to be a massive effort,” said Tornadoes dropped down in “multiple Decosta Jenkins, president and CEO of People are reflected in a mirror of a building destroyed by storms Tuesday, March 3, 2020, places” across the state, forcing rescuers Nashville Electric Service. in Nashville, Tennessee. Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee early Tuesday, shredding to go door to door looking for people who Power lines and power poles were buildings and killing multiple people. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) could be missing, according to Lee. knocked down, some at their base, across Metro Nashville Mayor John Cooper the downtown area, and Gov. Lee urged Interstates into Nashville were clogged places were to open out of 169 precincts, called it a “massive act of nature” and said only those considered “essential workers” early in the morning as people tried to go starting at 8 a.m., officials said. two shelters were open at East Magnet to come into the inner city. to work, with numerous wrecks reported, “We’re going to make it possible for as High School and Centennial Sportsplex. Many people were reported to be causing the backups to last even longer. many folks as we can to vote,” Lee said. Hands On Nashville was already walking around downtown Nashville be- The storm struck in the early morn- Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office ramping up efforts with community part- cause they had no power or methods to ing hours, about six to seven hours before was working with Nashville officials to ners and volunteers to start a cleanup ef- communicate, some gathering in parking polls were to open for the Super Tues- make sure they had power at precincts to fort, which could take weeks to months in lots to try to find out what was going on. day presidential primary. Fifteen polling conduct the Super Tuesday vote. The West Tennessee News March 6-12, 2020 3 DoubleTree to become a Marriott ‘Autograph’ hotel TOM BAILEY and location that this is.”Wright Now destined to become a boutique hotel within the Marriott Autograph Collection, the original part of The West Tennessee News is chief executive of Memphis- DoubleTree by Hilton opened in 1927 as Hotel Tennessee. (Tom Bailey/The West Tennessee News) What is now the DoubleTree based Wright Investments, which by Hilton Memphis Downtown bought the DoubleTree in 2018 will become part of Marriott’s in partnership with Continental in 1986, then a DoubleTree in of transactions, Wright said. that complements that whole cor- Autograph Collection of bou- Hospitality Group based in Co- 2007.“We’re going to complete- About 10 years ago, Marriott ner,” he said.In addition to those tique hotels.About 180 Auto- lumbus, Ohio. ly, totally transform the asset,” created the Autograph Collec- two hotels, the intersection of graph-branded hotels worldwide The new owners last year re- Wright said. “It will be like anew tion line of hotels “to use singular King and Union is bordered by are independently owned but ceived a local property tax incen- asset.” assets that didn’t fit in any hard AutoZone Park and a future ho- licensed by Marriott and includ- tive for its planned $47 million Aligning with Marriott will brand,” he said.“They created this tel that is being built where the ed in Marriott’s loyalty rewards renovation of the hotel.Render- put the hotel inside a mighty net- collection so they could associ- Benchmark Hotel was razed. program.“It’s very different than ings filed with the incentive ap- work, Wright said, adding, Mar- ate with, and provide benefits to, “It’s really the epicenter for a full-service Marriott in terms plication indicated the renovated riott has a large loyalty program owners of Marriott affiliations Downtown Memphis,” Wright of experience,” Larry Wright said. hotel will be called Tennessee with membership from across the with a lifestyle property,” he said. said of the intersection.“We’ll Instead of the duplicated Hotel, but Wright declined to world. Wright Investments owns “It allows you to customize an as- make sure it’s a truly special hotel, designs of even upscale hotel confirm the new name.Opened 15 hotels, but over its history has set uniquely to a specific market.” so there’s nothing like it anywhere brands, Wright said, “it will feel in 1927 at the southeast corner of owned about 180. Wright, a native Memphian, in Downtown.” Renovation for like you are in Memphis and in B.B. King and Union across from During the past seven years acknowledged the impact of The the future Marriott hotel should the state of Tennessee and very The Peabody, the hotel was ex- the company has completed Peabody has made for Memphis. start between July and September, specific to the special building panded and became a Radisson about a half-billion dollars worth “We’re going to create something Wright said. employee threshold has steadily dropped. Barnhardt Crane & Rigging that Baker Baker has seen self-insured compa- conducted through nonprofit Good Shep- HaloScrips helps nies with 200 employees. He’s counting herd Pharmacy, 126 Union Ave..“That on more of them. partnership allowed us to figure out what HaloScrips’ first client is 800-em- the business model needed to look like, ployee ASM Research in Fairfax, Virginia, where we were saving the most money where it is targeting 175 employees with and in what ways,” Baker said. employers reduce chronic conditions.“The result is, even “We realized very quickly that we though we are paying a membership fee, needed to start a for-profit business to there is such savings, it is still cost-posi- do this work. If Good Shepherd Pharmacy tive for us to do this,” said Ben Bohonow- continued to do it, it would put our non- workers’ drug costs icz, benefits adviser with Employee Ben- profit status in jeopardy.” efit Services of Maryland Inc. He is looking for “explosive business” “Any self-insured employer currently with HaloScrips.“We are going to be li- JANE ROBERTS We are just a way to help you manage your paying their own costs will benefit,” he censed in all 50 states before the end of The West Tennessee News chronic prescriptions — the cholesterol said.Of the 500 firms his company rep- the year. We have a pharmacy robot, and Phil Baker, the entrepreneurial Mem- med you know you are going to be on for resents, Bohonowicz estimates 20 are we are looking to add more. That is the phis pharmacist who created ways for pa- the rest of your life,” Baker said.