by Candace A. Gray —
“It’s a great day in the neighborhood. South Memphis has a TIF, y’all!,” proclaimed Rebecca Matlock Hutchinson, founder and executive director of South City Opportunity Revitalization Empowerment (SCORE) Community Development Corporation .
Hutchinson’s infectious excitement touched those who gathered recently at the busy South Memphis intersection of Mississippi Boulevard and Walker Avenue, across the street from famed The Four Way (formerly The Four Way Grill) restaurant. As they did, wind gusts challenged the easel-clad renderings of what many are hopeful will come to South Memphis in the near future.
Throughout the event, Hutchinson expressed immense gratitude to the Community Redevelopment Agency board (CRA) for its help in getting to this point.
She also thanked the more than 600 community members for their support (even during a pandemic) and input via zoom meetings about what they would like to see in their backyard.
And, she expressed gratitude for her fellow board members, community leaders and elected officials who work side-by-side with the SoulsvilleUSA Neighborhoods Development District (SNDD), a 501(c)3 nonprofit, to pursue a TIF (tax-increment financing) designation for South Memphis.
“This is well over 20 years in the works,” Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson, who also is the president of SNDD, said the board, comprised of community leaders, came together in 2019 after realizing that pooling skills, expertise and resources could yield even greater results for South Memphis.
Other board members are Lar’Juanette Williams, executive director of the Memphis Black Arts Alliance; Jeffrey T. Higgs, executive director of the LeMoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation; lawyer Vanecia Kimbrow, ESQ.; the Rev. Dr. Christopher Davis Sr., senior pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church; Marlon Foster, executive director or Knowledge Quest, and Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton.
What is the TIF?
It’s the EDGE (Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine) “tax-increment funding” incentive that will help take projects to the next level and bring resources back into the community.
The premise is that taxes are frozen to promote economic development in an area, and once the area is developed, the taxes generated from the site or property would then be directly invested back into that community.
The South Memphis TIF will soon be under review by the Shelby County Commission and Memphis City Council for full adoption.
“We want people to exercise their voices. Call their city officials. Write letters and emails to the mayor (Jim Strickland) and other city leaders. Let them know how important this TIF is for South Memphis,” said Higgs.
“We will also host a series of community meetings to meet our neighbors again, in person,” added Hutchinson. “We want to develop strategies on how to address concerns and needs.”
Milton added, “We have broken the glass ceiling. We have never had a TIF in the inner city and the first one is right here in South Memphis. This is for all of us. This is how communities grow, how we take care of our community. We are going to save ourselves one step at a time. …
“We’re talking housing, businesses, learning centers, streetscapes, job training … millions and millions coming back into the community.”
Higgs said, “We’re going to keep developing. The TIF is just a tool.”
Hutchinson said “economic development and empowerment are the biggest priority” for South Memphis, which has some of the highest poverty and unemployment rates in the city.
Development plans include a planned tech center that will help with job training and skills for young people in the neighborhood, a Soulsville Cultural Arts Center, loft apartments and retail redevelopment.
Patrice Bates Thompson, owner of The Four Way, also a lifelong resident of the neighborhood, agreed that it’s all about the economic growth for her.
“I look forward to the glory being brought back to this community,” she said.
