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THE EMAIL BELOW WAS SENT TO ME BY MIDTOWNER JAMES MAXWELL AND I THOUGHT I WOULD FORWARD IT TO EVERYONE ON OUR EMAIL LIST.
PLEASE FOLLOW JAMES' LEAD AND SEND AN EMAIL OR LETTER TO THE CHICK-FIL-A STAFF LISTED AT THE END OF HIS NOTE.
PLEASE DO IT THIS WEEK!!.....LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WANT THEM TO RECONSIDER THEIR PLANS TO DEMOLISH THE HISTORIC CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN ARCHIVES BUILDING ON UNION AVE. AT REMBERT FOR A NEW FAST FOOD CHICK-FIL-A RESTAURANT. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PROPERTIES THEY COULD DEVELOP WITHOUT DEMOLISHING THIS ONE.  BETTER YET THEY COULD SAVE THE BUILDING AND DO A GREAT ADAPTIVE REUSE IF THEY WANTED TO.

THANKS,
JUNE

JUNE W. WEST
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MEMPHIS HERITAGE, INC.

  Below is the email from James....

"Today I received a phone call from Perry Ragsdale, VP of real estate development/design for Chick-Fil-A. He told me that he was just brought in on the concern of the Cumberland Religious Building on Union Avenue and was given two letters, one of which was mine. He asked me to give him a description of the building and it's surroundings. Which I did to the best of my limited ability. Combining ideas from both my letter and Donna Palmer's, I suggested that if they could,, why not place the restaurant inside the front part of the building, not only providing Midtown with a Chick-fil-a but keeping something beautiful, elegant, and historic intact for all that visit midtown Memphis to enjoy for years and years to come. I also told him Midtowners love old beautiful buildings,, and that this would be a big hit for them if they used part of it as a restaurant. I also told him that I found it most ironic that a business that closes on Sunday to let associates reflect in whatever religious way they choose,, might demolish a building that was built to serve our lord. He told me that they were very interested in doing the "Right" thing, and that he is planning on being here next week to look at the situation first hand. He told me that they have experience putting restaurants in old buildings and that the idea was not completely off the table. So,, With that being said,,, I employ you to write to Chick-fil-a."

dan.cathy@chick-fil-a.com
bubba.cathy@chick-fil-a.com

MAILING ADDRESS:

Chick-Fil-A Corporate Office
Attention: Dan Cathy, Donald"Bubba" Cathy & Perry Ragsdale
CC: Truett Cathy, Founder
5200 Buffington Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30349

This week, keep it short,, or write a book. But lets save this building, let's do what we can to preserve something beautiful in Midtown. Send this message to all you know,,,,
Thanks!!
James Maxwell"

....and seconded by all of Memphis Heritage!

Thanks James and everyone for your commitment to the Historic Preservation of our past!

The site where the Cumberland Presbyterian building is located is zoned C-H and not protected by any historic district overlay. MHI is in hopes that the company will modify their plans in order to save this great architectural structure.

If you want to get involved with the MHI preservation committee in working against the demolition of this historic structure email jwest@memphisheritage.org or call MHI at 901.272.2727.

Memphis Heritage is proud to be a partner in Heart of the Arts Memphis !

This article is an excerpt from the 2006 Annual Report for the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Used with permission.

Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Memphis Heritage to get new Headquarters — Donation of Historic Home Adds Momentum to MHI Plans for 2006/07

Memphis Heritage has something major to celebrate during this year’s National Preservation Month, May 1 through 31, 2006, a new home!

MHI will soon have a new address thanks to the very generous donation of a major home in the Historic East End Neighborhood in Midtown Memphis. The property at the North East corner of Madison and Edgewood will become the new headquarters and offices for Memphis Heritage later this summer. Mr. Hal B. Howard Jr., a Memphis native, is gifting the property to serve as the home for Memphis’ largest Historic Preservation organization.

Memphis Heritage, a 501 ( c) 3 non profit agency was founded in 1975 to educate and coordinate individuals and groups to save, improve, reuse, and maintain architecturally and historically significant buildings, open spaces, streets, neighborhoods, parks, and cultural artifacts of Shelby County, Tennessee.

The new mhi headquarters will be named Howard Hall in honor of Mr. Howard’s family’s heritage. The headquarters will house a research library named in memory of Nash Buckingham, a local writer, outdoorsman and a long time friend of Mr. Howard’s father. As a legacy to West J. Crawford, Mr. Howard’s grandfather, an upstairs room will be named the Crawford Suite.

As plans are finalized for the move, watch for more exciting news about this most amazing gift and what it means to the future of Memphis Heritage and its role in supporting the history of Memphis through its preservation efforts.

Chisca Hotel faces uncertain future
by Ken Armstrong

The Chisca Hotel stands eight stories tall at 272 South Main. It may be an eyesore now but it was once an impressive building and has the potential to be one again. Currently owned by Church of God in Christ (COGIC), it has a 93-year history but its future restoration seems in grave doubt.

The Chisca, not on a level with the Peabody or Gayoso, does have wonderful, interesting architectural elements and a place in Memphis history. Built in 1913, it stood as the largest hotel in its district. However, it was more utilitarian than luxury. The authors of Memphis: An Architectural Guide point out that “it was clearly built on the cheap.” But, “on the cheap” in the 1900s was far better than most upscale new build today.

The hotel’s historic significance comes partially from its connection to Elvis. From 1949–56, its mezzanine was the broadcast base for WHBQ radio’s “Red, Hot, and Blue” program. It was from there that Dewey Phillips broadcast Elvis’ first record on July 7, 1954. Elvis’ first radio interview was also conducted in the hotel by Phillips.

The building was donated by the Snowden family to the Church of God In Christ (COGIC) for $10 in 1971. cogic acquired the hotel along with other downtown properties with the intention of creating a group of developments to be called Saint Center. These plans never materialized but cogic made the hotel their headquarters from the early 1980s to the late 1990s when it was abandoned because of its expensive upkeep in favor of Mason Temple. The building has since been neglected and fallen into disrepair. Fines of over $500,000 are owed by cogic due to anti-neglect.

Current plans for the hotel have elicited a mixed reaction from preservationists. In June 2005, cogic announced plans for an $80 million joint venture with the Florida-based development firm Group One Productions and Area Hotels, llc. Including four square blocks surrounding the hotel, the plan would convert it into a five-star, 150-room Hilton Garden Inn. According to Jeff Sanford of the Center City Commission (CCC), this would fill a need for more high-end hotel space within walking distance of the Cook Convention Center and attract more conventions to the city. However, these plans did not materialize.

A new plan recently submitted to Land Use Control shows part of the Chisca gone in their sketch, raising suspicions among local preservationists. Memphis Heritage and the South Main Neighborhood Association is opposed to demolition of the Chisca and are supporting a plan that would include its restoration.

Its future uncertain, the Chisca Hotel sits on South Main as it has for years — derelict and decaying. But hopefully development will take place to bring back its former glory.

If you want to get involved in saving the Historic Chisca, e-mail June West at jwest@memphisheritage.org or call 529-9828 to be part of the Save the Chisca committee.