Status: Endangered
Address: 8 North Third Street (now 8 North B.B. King Boulevard; northeast corner of Madison Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard), Memphis
Built: Completed in 1929
Architectural Style: Commercial Gothic
Original Function/Purpose: Commerce
History: This 29-story Gothic-style tower housed more than 2000 occupants and had its own barber shop, beauty parlor, bank and pharmacy. Known for a time as the Queen of Memphis, it was the tallest building in the city until superseded in 1965 by the 100 North Main Building with its 38 stories. It was designed by Texas architect Wyatt C. Hedrick and financed by his father-in-law and oil-man Ross E. Sterling as a real estate venture; the building’s name is a clever combination of their two last names. The National Register nomination for this building comments on “its sensitive design combining great mass with human scale and elegant ornamentation” and its “dominating presence on the Memphis skyline.” The Sterick went vacant in 1986. But in March 2023 local developer Stuart Harris announced that his team had purchased the building and had resolved a ground lease issue that had separated the building from the land it occupies since its construction. Harris praised the “local and national investors who share our commitment to making sure this historic building sees a bright new future.” The Downtown Memphis Commission helped facilitate the deal, and historic tax credits are a possible source of funding. Most of the building is expected to be devoted to housing.
City Council District: 6
Super District: 8
County Commission District: 8