Memphis, Tenn. — A 112-room hotel with a restaurant and rooftop bar is planned for the corner of Central Avenue and Highland Street near the University of Memphis, and the developers are seeking a tax deal to help pay for public improvements around the site.
The project would be a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel on the former site of the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, a corner that has sat idle for years since the church was demolished. Plans call for meeting space, a restaurant, a lobby bar and a 114-seat rooftop bar.
Total investment is projected at more than $46 million. The developers say the hotel will employ more than 90 people, with hundreds of temporary construction jobs during the build. Groundbreaking is expected in early 2027.
The Economic Development Growth Engine of Memphis and Shelby County, known as EDGE, approved financing for the project. Because the site needs improvements to sidewalks, lighting and utility lines, the developers are asking for a Tax Increment Financing plan that would send most of the new property tax revenue generated by the project toward that construction.
The TIF plan and an economic impact report were on the agenda for the Shelby County Commission meeting Monday afternoon. The project has the support of the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation.
For the University District, the hotel would add rooms for visiting families, campus guests and business travelers within walking distance of the U of M campus, filling one of the most visible empty corners in the Midtown area.
