Members of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce were invited to tour the Beale Street Landing Project. As a designer and Memphian I was thrilled at the opportunity to learn more about this project that I think is going to breathe new life into our downtown. The Beale Street Landing Project’s vision is “making the majestic Mississippi River more accessible and usable for area residents and visitors to the Bluff City.” The Great American Steamboat Company will also have their headquarters here and it is a joy to see all the activity coming to the riverside in Memphis.
Beale Street Landing is Coming Soon
Beale Street Landing is Coming Soon and here are some of the things I learned. There is an excitement in the air!
Jimmy Ogle Tour Guide Extraordinaire
I have lived in Memphis for over 20 years have never taken the time to dig deep into the rich history of my adopted city. It was such a treat to have Jimmy Ogle as our tour guide. He not only told about Beale Street Landing but mixed in Memphis history and has sparked my interest to learn more…..he offers great free walking tours. I think I am going to take advantage of these.
Hard Hats Required
We all put on our hard hats and prepared to see the construction.
Construction Underway
We were able to observe construction underway. Designs for Beale Street Landing were submitted by 170 designers, architects, artists, and other professionals representing 20 countries worldwide and 28 states nationwide. The water elevation fluctuates an average of 57 feet annually. With this in mind in was important to build a floating dock that would allow people access to the river for the first time in over 50 years. Here is a look at the construction that I saw. Also see the artist’s view of Beale Street Landing will look like when complete.
Floating Dock a Creative Inspiration for Design
As a designer of custom gifts I was inspired by the floating dock design. Jimmy Ogle explained that the steamboats don’t want to come close to the shore because it would tear up the bottom of the boats…so a design contest was started to solve this problem. I just love this floating spherical dock. It inspires me to think creatively when I am designing my custom gifts and jewelry for Classic Legacy.
Discovering Common Bonds
This tour was eye-opening and I loved learning more about Memphis and Beale Street Landing. We had a small group and although I did not meet everyone I did meet Kevin Sharp. Kevin is the Director of the Dixon Art Gallery and Gardens. I love the Dixon and in the back of my mind I knew that I had read something about Kevin that we had in common……the more I thought about it I realized that I had read an article from my college alumni magazine featuring Kevin……we are both graduates of Central Missouri State University……it is a small world!
Memphians Learning about Beale Street Landing
At the close of our tour a group photo was taken. I know I learned a lot about Memphis and the Beale Street Landing. I look forward to continue to learn and to be creative. This day was an inspiration and I thank the Riverfront Development Corporation and especially Jimmy Ogle. It was a great tour!
