For people who live in the South Main Historic District, Trolley Night is not just about a chance to relax after the week. It also epitomizes the neighborhood’s growth over the past 20 years.

On its grand opening date in 1966, Southland Mall created a three-hour traffic jam on U.S. 51 (now called Elvis Presley Boulevard). Now, on a recent afternoon, no more than two dozen cars speckled its parking lot.

Some major employers are offering benefits to help employees access abortion services across state lines while others are determining whether they’ll need to make adjustments to their employees’ health care plans.

The 175-acre, $400 million mixed-use development near Colonial Country Club in Cordova is approved for an eight-year tax increment financing (TIF) of up to $23 million.

New CEO Raj Subramaniam faces soaring inflation, increasing competition from Amazon and an activist investor demanding shakeups to the board, but plans to grow earnings per share by as much as 19% over the next three years, as well as increase operating income by as much as $4.5 billion. 

This week’s Inked includes updates on two businesses leaving Downtown Memphis, Felicia Suzanne’s new space, a new apartment complex on Front Street and new ownership for the Highlander Apartments.

After 27 years, owner and founder H. Montgomery Martin will step down as president and CEO of his namesake company. 

Pilots are asking for a contract that increases retirement benefits and takes into account issues related to quality of life, such as time spent away from home and uncertainty around scheduling. 

The episode focused on the paper trade in the U.S., as well as the workers who keep it functioning. 

Grace Medical plans a $2.8 million expansion at its Bartlett headquarters to enhance its position in otology.

FedEx has donated more than $2.3 million in humanitarian aid since the outset of the conflict, including $1 million that has been allocated for in-kind shipping with nonprofit partners.

Office users are trickling back to the market two-plus years after the COVID pandemic and its restrictions.

Planners say a rebirth of the property at Poplar Avenue and Kirby Parkway could transform the area in a way similar to Thornwood’s effect on the north end of Germantown’s Central Business District.

Memphis Obstetrics and Gynecological Association, the Mid-South’s largest OB-GYN practice, has purchased the iconic Opera Memphis building at 6745 Wolf River Blvd. 

Lakeland’s Economic Development Commission gets an overview of expected impact of the Haywood County project that is generating 32,900 construction jobs to build the megasite, and about 6,000 net new jobs for the site’s assembly facility, battery plant and recycling facility.

Ted Townsend will replace Robertson, the Chamber’s first Black president and CEO.

Victor Boddie, a mechanic, sued his former employer, The Chemours Company, for violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act when they fired him in 2019. 

The Memphis-based company recorded $24.4 billion in revenue for its fourth quarter 2022, compared to $22.6 billion it reported in the same time period in 2021. 

D. E. Shaw & Co. is known for its activist investing, including its role in Exxon Mobil Corp.’s decision to add to its board and make $6 billion worth of cost savings changes. 

He was a consummate entrepreneur, in part because his hardscrabble life as the son of Italian immigrants taught him the value of hustle.

Buildings as tall as 100 North Main would be allowed in the Pinch District after a 5-1 vote by the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment on Wednesday.

Related story:

Mixed-use projects in Medical District, former Porter Junior High School site approved

The Board of Adjustment approved plans for a 49-unit apartment building in the Medical District along with plans at the historic Greyhound Station in Uptown and the former Porter Junior High School in South Memphis. 

The museum is on the ground floor at 545 S. Main St. inside the historic Central Station, where it has been since 2012. 

This week’s Inked covers plans for an $18 million apartment complex near the University of Memphis and updates on the historic Greyhound site in Uptown, which the developers plan to transform into “an eclectic mixed-use development with apartments and specific retail uses.”