Its Time To Get Creative

Last week the Commercial Appeal ran an article about a new website database that was recently launched by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The website is a way to match developers and architects with interested investors to rejuvenate projects that have stalled due to the credit freeze for new construction. There are many long-delayed projects in Memphis that could benefit from this from this new Internet tool. The article, written by Tom Bailey, focused on two large Memphis projects; the $70 million Highland Row mixed-use development that sits at the corner of Highland and Midland was announced in January 2008 yet the land remains vacant; and The Horizon’s, a 155 apartment tower development that sits on the South Bluffs along the Mississippi River that has been dormant since foreclosure hit in 2009. These projects are located in areas that seemed poised for future redevelopment a few years ago. But this credit crunch is really putting a damper on things. The percentage of projects held up due to financing difficulty has doubled nationwide since 2008 and one in five stalled projects is a direct result of the current credit crunch. The new AIA database allows architects and developers to list their stalled projects in hopes of attracting private investors to rejuvenate projects needing financing. The University of Memphis has big plans for expansion and the downtown area has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in new projects in the last decade. The masterminds at AIA who are behind this new idea were thinking big and they have potentially created a very useful tool for their peers. If this database attracts investors to just a few of the stalled projects in Memphis imagine the possibilities.
Cities could learn a thing or two from AIA. What if he City of Memphis had a database that listed all the currently stalled revitalization projects around town including those that are targeted as neighborhood blight and used this database tool as a way to recruit small local business to help? Projects that could be listed include vacant houses that need to be boarded or demolished, over-grown lots that need to be mowed, roads and sidewalks that need to be repaired, graffiti that needs to be painted over, fences that need to be mended, playground equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced, and any other projects that are currently over whelming our civil servants.
A quick drive through Memphis would reveal the enormous backlog of these types of projects. The men and women whose job it is to complete these projects within city and county government cannot keep up. At the same time, many local landscapers, contractors, painters, etc. are struggling to find work. This could be a match made in heaven. Instead of keeping all the work in house, Memphis could contract the work out and allow businesses to bid on the projects. This bid process could be simplified from the current process by restricting the contracts to Shelby County based businesses only including minority and women owed businesses. Not only would this help stimulate the local economy and would save the city/county money in over-time pay, not to mention equipment cost, fuel cost and maintenance cost, but also magnify the effort to rid our community of blight. This in turn would help reduce crime in many areas and improve the overall health, safety and welfare of citizens.
The city, with the help from the neighborhood CDCs, various neighborhood associations and others on the front line, could inventory all of the projects that are currently stalled. The projects should be categorized by the type of work that is needed, i.e. demolition or lawn maintenance. A generic simplified bid contract for each category could be available for download. The database could be located on the city’s main webpage under the information for businesses tab. The design and implementation the system would not be hard since the city already bids out for materials and some services through the Purchasing Service Center. The bids would be restricted to Shelby County-based business only, with special favor paid to those in Memphis.
If the system were designed correctly no current city employee would lose their job. The bottom line is, there is plenty of work to go around. With the city’s current financial situation we cannot afford the cost of completing all of the pending projects completed by city employees in a timely manner. This push to clean-up blight, revitalize parks, add bike lanes and many other worthy projects have created more work for our already over-worked civil servants. We all want to make Memphis a city of choice. This could be a win-win for all.