By Tamara Walker

The Cooper Young Business Association’s mission for the last year has been one of improving our business neighborhood and making the neighborhood into a more pedestrian-friendly place. After countless meetings and engineering drawings, success is in sight. Cooper Street will be receiving Federal funds that will pave the way for not only the safety of our customers and residents but literally help connect us to other neighborhoods via new bike lanes.

Improvements on Cooper Street from Central to Southern will involve repaving the street, reducing the traffic lanes from 4 to 2, installing a turning lane, and creating two bike lanes on either side of the street that will be reduced to one lane on the other side of Young Avenue. In addition, future talks include further enhancements, such as medians at peak foot traffic spots and colorful art-enhanced crosswalks. This work should be complete by this year’s Cooper-Young Festival on September 18th.

The Board believes that the reduction of the traffic lanes and the installation of the bike lanes will slow down the traffic on Cooper Street. Their vision for the CY area is and always has been to make improvements to the area that enhances it as a desirable place to live, work, and patronize by maintaining a living, creative, and safe environment for all.

There will be a public meeting regarding these improvements on March 23rd from 6:30–8:30 pm at Peabody School.

Build Memphis up, not out, with a Midtown Overlay District

As an architect, I wholeheartedly embrace the evolution of our built environments—when handled properly. I would much rather see Memphis focus on infill than recklessly continue her century-old tradition of white flight and eastern sprawl. As such, I applaud the efforts of the groups working to create a Midtown Overlay District and encourage everyone to add their voices, concerns, and energies to this tremendous undertaking. We have all seen the devastation caused by thoughtless out-of-town or corporate developers when left to their own devices. (Walgreen’s, in particular, comes to mind.) While nothing can replace what has already been lost, this ordinance is a tremendous step forward in protecting—and enhancing—the integrity of what remains.

Aaron James