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.
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 and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. A native Rhode Islander who lives in Midtown, he enjoys tennis, golf and reading.
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