In terms of Downtown development, Jason Wexler is a triple-threat:  a common sense businessman with creative vision and tireless enthusiasm to make Memphis a better place to live.  As president of Henry Turley Company and founder of Greenhat Partners, Jason is overseeing New Urbanism concepts through “The Flatsâ€�, a collection of five mixed-use residential projects within one block along Main Street  - The Cornerstone Flats, Barboro Alley Flats, Main Street Flats, Radio Center Flats, and the newly opened Van Vleet Flats.  Together these five projects have brought hundreds of people to live in the Downtown Core, and transformed a block of blight into one of the brightest spots in Memphis.  Ground floor space is filling amenities like a grocery store, restaurants, a dentist, an optometrist, and parking at each project.   Beyond these large scale projects, Jason has a fervor for the details and is a student of best practices, offering guidance on public art and community enhancement projects (thank Jason for the painted kiosks on Main Street!)

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and  the 2nd anniversary of the school relocation to Downtown.  The school’s renovation of a historic former U.S. Customs, Courthouse and Post Office into an award-winning educational facility was not only an improvement for Downtown; it has sparked new life for its 500 students, professors and faculty.  Built in 1885, the 169,000-sf building underwent a $42 million renovation starting in 2006 led by Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects which won the Honor Award -- the highest given -- in the 2011 American Institute of Architects Gulf States Region Honor Awards. Last year the school was ranked number 8 in the country for quality of life by the Princeton Review which largely considers school aesthetics.  By bringing the law students closer to the Downtown legal community,  the school has substantially increased its externship program through better connections for students with Downtown law firms.    

In 1982, Robert McGowan and Annie Mahaffey bought 418 South Main Street on the courthouse steps at a foreclosure auction, only later to discover that it was from this building that James Early Ray fired his fatal shot.  What started as a building restoration project subsequently launched them into unexpected roles of champions of preservation for a forgotten neighborhood.  Realizing the architectural and historic value of the area, they began a 10-year arduous journey to protect South Main from further deterioration, vagrancy, demolition and civic apathy.  The two established the South Main Street Historic District, tackled zoning issues and code enforcement, urged support from civic leaders and developers, and rallied community support.  To address the problem of neglected buildings, they introduced what is now the city anti-neglect ordinance to require property owners to maintain their buildings in sound structural condition. Without their vision, tenacious perseverance, passion, and leadership, South Main would be a dramatically different place than it is today.   

Do you know where November 6th Street gets its name?  Or how many manhole covers are in Downtown?  Jimmy Ogle can tell you! Nobody in Memphis knows the stories of our streets, sidewalks, buildings, characters, spaces and colorful history better than our affable urban history jock Jimmy Ogle.   With keen fascination he is constantly on the hunt for new facts and clues to our past.  Jimmy has spent years capturing and chronicling our city’s stories, and what’s more, eagerly sharing them with thousands of locals and visitors through walking tours, presentations and educational programs. Never boring, his energetic tours bring life to Downtown’s brick and mortar, giving spirit and a connection to the city.  By getting citizens to understand and know their neighborhoods, Jimmy is creating an army of ambassadors for Memphis and better citizens. Beyond his role as urban historian, Jimmy is the Community Engagement Manager at Riverfront Development Corporation and has managed several Downtown organizations like Mud Island River Park, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Memphis Parks Commission and Memphis Queen Line.