Memphis City Council members gave the Old Daisy Theater at 323 Beale St. a new lease on life Tuesday, voting 10-0 to direct Mayor Paul Young’s administration to begin negotiations with the Beale Street Development Corporation (BSDC) on a 50-year lease for the historic venue.
The consent agenda item passed without discussion during the council’s July 22 meeting.
Once a lease is finalized and renovations are complete, the theater will serve as an interpretive center highlighting Beale Street’s rich cultural history. The nickelodeon-style venue is currently used as office space for BSDC, and its exterior operates as an outdoor bar during the spring and summer months.
The building was formerly home to the Center for Southern Folklore, which opened in 1983 and operated a museum and interpretive center in the space.
As part of the new agreement, BSDC will relinquish its long-contested claim to a master lease granted by the city in 1982. That lease had been the subject of multiple lawsuits over the past decade. The city also owns the development corporation that manages the district.
Built in 1917, the Old Daisy Theater was a major stop on the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” an informal network of venues that welcomed Black performers and audiences during the segregation era, when mainstream establishments typically barred both.
In 1937, seeking a larger venue, the theater’s owners opened the New Daisy Theater nearby at 330 Beale St.
Council also advances long-awaited plans for Twin Drive-In site
Separately, the council approved $7.25 million in capital funding to redevelop the long-abandoned Southwest Twin Drive-In into a mixed-use development. The investment marks the first major outlay in a $42.8 million project. Approximately $3 million in capital funds had already been allocated to the effort.
Construction is scheduled to begin in August. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in May.
City leaders plan to build a new police station, public library and pavilion on the 21-acre site, located in the underserved Westwood area of Southwest Memphis. Officials hope the public investment will attract compatible private development.
“We’re ready to move forward. We’ve got 21 acres … we are going to make things happen. Then, we’ll go all the way down to the Mississippi line. We’re going to stop right there. We’re going to keep everything on this side,” said Councilmember Edmund Ford Sr.
The new police precinct is expected to be the first facility completed, with an estimated opening in August 2026. The full redevelopment is projected to wrap up by October 2027.
Originally opened in 1956 as the 61 Drive-In, the theater closed in 2001. Conversations about redeveloping the site began in 2022 between Memphis and Shelby County officials.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time. Third Street has been neglected for years and years and years. This will make the difference. Once this is done, everything else will follow,” Ford said.
