Fairgrounds development wants to be Chick-fil-A of entertainment. Can it?
The fate of the Liberty Park Tourism Development Zone does not just hinge on the success of High 5. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
A planned $112.5 million private development could transform Liberty Park, formerly known as the Mid-South Fairgrounds, and bail the City of Memphis out of an underwater wager.
On Aug. 6, the Memphis City Council approved long-term ground leases for apartments, a hotel and an entertainment venue known as High 5, which could bring laser tag, bowling and ax-throwing to city-owned property on Central Avenue.Â
High 5 has two locations in Texas and two planned in Oklahoma and Florida. Scott Emley, the company’s CEO, says High 5 wants to be the Chick-fil-A of entertainment. Its website says it is seeking outside investors.
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on the intersection of government, public policy, influence and how public dollars are spent.
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