Help! I need “deal-making” restaurants.
What are the best places around town to meet with clients and get deals made? Steakhouses? Mexican? Sushi? Lunch and Dinner options needed. Help me, gentle reader.
I’ll put together a proper list once I get enough recommendations.
American Idol comes to Memphis. Bring it on, Simon Cowell.
Signups are at FedExForum on Friday and auditions are on Sunday.
From the Commercial Appeal:
The route to Hollywood could be paved through Memphis for “American Idol” hopefuls, who begin registering Friday for Sunday’s Memphis auditions. Registration begins at FedExForum at 6 a.m. Friday, and will continue until Sunday morning when the auditions begin at 8 a.m.
The show’s producers warn that there is “no guarantee that everyone who registers will be given the opportunity to audition. If our time is running short, the producers may walk around the venue to pick out people to audition based on performing ability, look, style, personality and other actors at producer’s sole discretion …”
There are a ton of rules, so be sure to check out the whole story on The Commercial Appeals’ webpage or go to americanidol.com. They’ve got a whole section dedicated to the Memphis auditions, so make sure to check that out if you’re going to try out.
I’m guessing not too many people that are interested in Real Estate are going to try out, Read more »
Peabody celebrates 25th anniversary
From this mornings Commercial Appeal:
The Peabody hotel will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its 1981 reopening by the Belz family.
Events will get under way around 4:30 p.m. Peabody chefs will serve hors d’oeuvres from Chez Philippe, Capriccio Grill and Sunday Brunch. AutoZone founder J.R. ‘Pitt’ Hyde III will be inducted into the Duck Walk Hall of Fame.
For more information, call 529-4000.
Congrats to Belz, The Peabody, and Mr. Hyde the III.
FedEx Forum Garage Update: Nobody don’t know nothin’
The attorney for Shelby County, Brian Kuhn, says there’s no “smoking gun” evidence indicating who the bad guy(s) are in the FedEx Forum shenanigans. From The Commercial Appeal:
Kuhn and his staff, at the request of the County Commission, have been sifting through as many as 140,000 pages of documents connected to the funding and construction of the garage and arena, home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
During a joint session of the commission’s audit and public service committees, Kuhn told commissioners decisions about the garage appear to have been made largely by groups of people in meetings, not individuals.
Kuhn said he hasn’t found any “smoking gun” evidence to explain the garage fiasco, which is costing the City of Memphis $6.3 million in federal funds…
Some members of the commission, however, said they are certain that fraud or deception was at play in the matter.
Commissioner Walter Bailey, a longtime critic of the arena project, said he’s convinced there was “subterfuge and chicanery” involved in the deal, which resulted in the Grizzlies receiving profits from garage operations. “This thing was intentional,” he said. Fellow arena critic, Commissioner John Willingham, said with all the attorneys who worked on the arena project, he was skeptical that no one was aware the garage did not meet the federal requirements.
“Not everybody is a dummy. There were plenty of smart people involved,” Willingham said.
How great is that quote? “Not everybody is a dummy.” Yeah, but enough people were stupid enough to let them get away with stealing 6.3 million dollars from the federal grant that I’m going to have to repay in taxes. Thanks for looking out for me, smart guys.
Grizzlies say parking garage snafu wasn’t their fault. So who’s the bad guy?
There's a story on the front page of The Commercial Appeal about the FedEx Forum parking garage snafu. I wrote a short post about it a few days ago.
The Grizzlies say blame for the FedExForum garage controversy shouldn't be parked at their curb.
"We were not a party to defrauding anybody. In fact, we were told that this was OK," franchise attorney Stan Meadows said Monday about seemingly conflicting contracts signed by the city.
"There was a discussion of this when the garage was being built," Meadows said. "We had some meeting where I said, 'Are you guys sure this can be done?' I was assured it could be done."
Meadows didn't recall who gave the assurance, but said it might have been attorneys representing the city. Former City Atty. Robert Spence last week said he interpreted the federal regulation to mean that the city, county or New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority couldn't make a profit on the garage — but a third party, such as the Grizzlies, could.
I have never seen leadership like we have in Memphis. Never.
Dixie Chicks not playing in Memphis after all
The Commercial Appeal had a short blurb on the Chicks:
The Dixie Chicks' Accidents & Accusations Tour apparently won't be stopping at FedExForum, after all.
That's according to a report by Billboard.com, which said ticket sales were lagging in several Southern markets. The band angered many of its country fans by criticizing President Bush three years ago.
The Sept. 27 Memphis show remained on the band's Web site. But Billboard reported, "The plug was pulled on public on-sales for shows in Oklahoma City (Sept. 26), Memphis (Sept. 27) and Houston (Sept. 30) because of tepid pre-sales in a national promotion with Target stores. The Memphis show has been pulled off the route and the status of the shows in Houston and Oklahoma City remains uncertain."
More from Billboard if you're a Dixie Chick hater:
Memphis taxpayers to repay millions for FedEx Forum parking lot screw-up
I heard about the latest example of how our tax dollars are being spent this morning on WREC 600.
Memphis city government could be held responsible for a payback of millions of dollars for a floor of the FedEx Forum parking garage that was never built and the bus terminal that has elminated from the plans. County Commissioner John Willingham tells NewsRadio 600WREC that amount could be anywhere from $5 to $20 million payable to the Department of Transportation. The DOT funded that part of the project to help with parking and transportation issues around Beale Street.
So the Feds gave Memphis millions of dollars, earmarked for the (never built) sixth floor of the Forum parking garage and a bus terminal. But those two items were never built. So, understandably, Uncle Sam wants his cash back.
Downtown Memphis is getting ugly. Coyote Ugly.
Tonight’s the big grand opening of Coyote Ugly Memphis. Here’s their press release:
Coyote Ugly Saloon, the most famous bar in the world, is opening its 15th US location in Memphis, Tennessee, on May 17, 2006, Coyote Ugly Saloon founder Liliana “Lil” Lovell announced today. The Saloon is located at 326 Beale Street. The general public is invited to join the party after 9pm.
I won’t be there, but I’m sure it’ll be packed. Best of luck to “Lil” Lovell in their new location.
Ever wonder about the origin of the term “Coyote Ugly”? Check out Wikipedia.
About Will Hicks
Will Hicks is an affiliate real estate broker licensed in the State of Tennessee. Prior to his career transition into real estate, Hicks was a SCUBA Instructor with the International ALERT Academy of Big Sandy, Texas and the National Academy of Police Diving, based in Miami, Florida.
Hicks says he’s been asked many times about the odd transition from SCUBA Instructor to Real Estate Agent. “Teaching people how to SCUBA dive was the most fun 10 years of my life. But you can’t eat fun.” You can’t pay the rent with it either.
You can reach Will Hicks in Memphis at (901) 758-5670 or (901) 828-9200.
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