Designs revealed for new Crosstown venue, Falls Building redevelopment
A rendering shows the proposed new Crosstown Concourse venue. Signage is for representation purposes and is not final. (Courtesy archimania, via Downtown Memphis Commission)
The Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board on Wednesday, Dec. 4, approved the design of the Falls Building redevelopment as well as the Crosstown/Live Nation indoor event venue.
Interior demolition of the 11-story Falls Building has already begun, following the completion of the construction documents and approval of the construction permit.
The historic building, 22 N. Front St., is being converted into an 170-unit apartment complex.
The project falls within the Court Square National Historic District and has received approval from the Department of the Interior and the State Historic Preservation Office.
The architectural design will maintain and restore the former office building’s historical elements, including the terracotta details, decorative metal elements and curtain wall. The existing historic signage and plaque will remain as well.
The building will receive structural reinforcement of the masonry facades, roof repair, reconfiguration of entranceways on all sides except the eastern façade.
After removing the canopy from the entrance of the building, the space will be repurposed into an upgraded internal courtyard space. There is a possibility of screening in the space.
The review was required following the project’s payment-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive approval in May 2023 from the DMC’s Center City Revenue Finance Committee Corp.
A rendering of the Falls Building after renovation, left. (Courtesy DMC)
The Crosstown Concourse and Live Nation indoor event venue design was expanded following the recent announcement of Crosstown’s collaboration with the entertainment company.
“We’re excited about it,” said Todd Richardson, president & CEO of Crosstown Concourse.
The 33,587-square-foot venue, which will host 100 events annually, will have a small outdoor plaza and a glass façade at the entrance that will continue into the lobby.
The venue will replace the underutilized surface parking lot at the corner of North Claybrook Street and Autumn Avenue.
The two-story venue will have a 1,300-guest capacity and have ample parking with the neighboring concourse’s parking lot and 1,200-space parking garage.
The venue will have a stage, theater, lobby with a bar, restrooms, loading dock and back of stage area on level one.
Level two will hold a second-floor theater space overlooking the stage and level one theater as well as a VIP lounge with a bar.
The venue will have a steel screen wall, black spruce shiplap wood siding, Glen Grey ‘Midtown Ironspot’ brick veneer, fence and gate, while surrounded by trees, including the existing trees on the south side by the sidewalk.
The review is required for the project as the property is part of the Crosstown Concourse redevelopment, which received a PILOT in October 2013.
To connect the venue to the concourse, Richardson said they are working on installing a crosswalk and reworking the parking lot between the two that aligns with the buildings. He said this will help create visibility for visiting pedestrians and add safety.
A site plan shows the first floor of the proposed new Crosstown Concourse venue. (Courtesy archimania, via Downtown Memphis Commission)
Topics
Design Review Board Downtown Memphis Commission Crosstown Concourse Live Nation Falls BuildingSophia Surrett
Sophia Surrett is a University of Alabama graduate, where she received her B.A. in news media and M.A. in journalism and media studies. She covers small business, nonprofits, restaurant real estate, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics.
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