Uptown Memphis Embraces Past to Build Bright Future

Want to move Downtown? Then Uptown is the place to be. Uptown, one of the largest developments in the Downtown Memphis renaissance, is attracting a variety of tenants and creating a buzz for its successful revitalization efforts and its connection to one of Memphis’ most famous residents – Elvis Presley.

A joint venture between Belz, Henry Turley, and the City of Memphis, Uptown is a development project that leverages federal dollars by attracting private investment to rebuild historic and city core neighborhoods, providing mixed-income housing for Memphis’ downtown population.

The community is comprised of 395 single family homes and more than 500 apartments and townhomes. All of the homes are new construction, combining timeless designs with top-quality contemporary features. Great care has been taken to ensure that the homes are built by EcoBUILD standards, making them more energy efficient and ecologically sound. In addition, Uptown Square is Memphis’ first wireless apartment community.

The attractively-priced housing options include traditional marketrate housing and subsidized homes and apartments, which is unique in the downtown Memphis area and offers everyone an affordable way to be part of the Downtown Renaissance.

From the beginning, creating a sense of community was important in Uptown. That is why Uptown’s 100-block neighborhood will include a collection of stores and other businesses to service the neighborhood. In addition, Memphis’ famous historic trolleys ensure a downtown job or a night out on the town is never more than a few minutes away.

John Dudas, vice president and director of strategic planning for Belz, says environmental quality and infrastructure were essential to pulling all of the different elements of Uptown together.

“The city spent nearly $10 million on infrastructure for Uptown,” said Dudas. “It makes all the difference. You used to walk in this area at night and it was dark; now there are street lights, new sidewalks and trees, and other improvements such as enhanced security. These elements help make Uptown a desirable and attractive neighborhood. People feel more comfortable and that’s the kind of atmosphere we wanted to create.”

In addition, Uptown residents now enjoy new community parks, benches and gardens.

Uptown sprang out of the distressed public housing projects of Hurt Village and Lauderdale Courts, famous for being Elvis Presley’s home from 1949 to 1953. Situated within the boundaries of Chelsea, Exchange, Ayers, and Wolf River/Harbor, the area experienced steady decline for decades.

But there was hope. Located in the direct vicinity of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and adjacent to a newly revitalized downtown and Harbor Town, the area was a natural choice for revitalization.“We not only wanted to build houses, we wanted to create a diverse neighborhood, a real sense of community,” said Dudas. “We wanted to recapture great traditional living near a vibrant Downtown.”

Now, residents from all backgrounds live side by side in Uptown – a feature that sets the 100-block community apart.

Former tenants of Hurt Village and Lauderdale Courts who meet Uptown’s criteria (they must be working and/or attending school) and doctors who work at St. Jude are just a few of the residents who now call
Uptown home.

“The diverse group of people who live here have created a unique community for those who want to live downtown,” said Dudas.

All this and you can even live like The King. The former apartment of Elvis, #328, is available for short-term rent at Uptown Square. The apartment has been decorated to capture the feel of life when Elvis lived there. Fans can gaze into his mirror, eat in his kitchen, and sleep in his bedroom for the complete Elvis experience.

“The Elvis experience is a great analogy for the Uptown experience,” said Alexandra Mobley, asset management and marketing manager for The Uptown Partnership. “Elvis was part of a community that was designed to encourage friendships and neighborly activities, and he was close to everything downtown had to offer, including influences from all walks of life.

“These elements gave Elvis the encouragement and opportunity to develop as a person. That’s the idea behind Uptown Memphis – to rebuild a community where people know their neighbors, have easy access to all that downtown has to offer and are part of something that truly can change people’s lives.”