The Early Word: How the xAI deal got done; Orange Mound Tower’s next life

Bianca Phillips By , Daily Memphian
Updated: June 10, 2024 2:36 PM CT | Published: June 10, 2024 6:17 AM CT Premium

Morning, sunshines. It’s Monday, June 10, and if budgets make you weary, prepare to be bored with today’s civic happenings. The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen will take a final vote on the suburb’s budget today

The Memphis City Council meets in a city-budget committee session, too, though final votes won’t come on Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s proposal until the end of the month. Budget adjustments and property taxes are also on the agenda for the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen. (But no worries on those taxes; they’re staying flat.)

For a look at what’s ahead, check out This Week in Memphis.

Elon Musk’s plan to build his xAI supercomputer in Memphis is the largest economic investment in the city’s history. And in traditional Musk fashion, the details behind how the deal got done are a little, well, unconventional. xAI doesn’t have a communications team, for one, so the Greater Memphis Chamber worked directly with the company’s leadership — and some rules around confidentiality were nearly broken. The Daily Memphian’s Sophia Surrett talked to Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend about how they sealed the deal in 90 days. And for any of you who are skeptical of Musk’s plans, because hey, we’ve been burned before (remember Sidney Shlenker?), Geoff Calkins tells why he thinks this deal is great news for the city

Arts organizations Tone and Unapologetic have long had a plan to redevelop the Orange Mound Tower into a mixed-use, arts-forward space. But those plans are finally moving along with the project now in its design phase. Architect Germane Barnes turned to his class at the University of Ohio for design ideas, which include a food hall, a collaborative, flexible space for Black-owned businesses, a performing arts stage, a greenhouse and plenty more.

Plus, the Tennessee Supreme Court says no to Henri Brooks, the Center for Southern Folklore’s archives are in danger and Baron Von Opperbean is coming back.

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Bianca Phillips

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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