The Early Word: ROH needs more land, and sledding may return to a landfill
Rise and shine! It’s Thursday, Jan. 30, and Memphis Mayor Paul Young will deliver the annual State of the City address tonight at Downtown’s Temple of Deliverance. The speech is free and open to the public, but if you plan to go, the city is encouraging registration so they can get a headcount.
While Young is busy bouncing his vision for Memphis off his constituents, the city’s two men’s basketball teams will be bouncing some balls. The Memphis Grizzlies will get one more go at the Houston Rockets, a team they just haven’t been able to beat all season, at FedExForum. A win would mean a lot for the Grizz after Monday’s sloppy loss to the New York Knicks. (And yes, this means Steve-O will be in the Grindhouse. Here’s where I would insert a heart-eyes emoji if I could.)
Meanwhile, the 16-4 Memphis Tigers will play Tulane in New Orleans in an arena where Coach Penny Hardaway’s team has had its share of struggles.
The Shelby County Commission’s approval this week to spend $25 million on the old Commercial Appeal property to make way for a new Regional One Health hospital was just the first step in a complicated process. Dr. Reginald Coopwood, ROH president and CEO, says the plan will need more money and more land. Coopwood is hoping the state will step in with $400 million. On top of that, ROH needs to acquire additional nearby parcels to amass a 16-acre tract, and one owner has been unresponsive. The Daily Memphian’s Jane Roberts talked to Coopwood about those challenges and his vision for a modern, $1 billion campus with as many as 25 operating rooms.
The Town of Collierville could purchase the former landfill affectionately known as Mount Trashmore. The town’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen discussed the purchase of the site, which is scheduled to be sold in a tax sale this spring. It’s currently in the midst of rezoning to prevent any future owner from building a large subdivision. But if the town buys it, there’s a chance snows days in Collierville could get a lot more fun.
Plus, state lawmakers push ahead immigration bill, Tigers football coaches are in the money and a 10-year-old is Corky’s No. 1 fan.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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