Universal Commercial: A New World of Real Estate

We enjoyed the keen insights shared during the recent The Daily Memphian Commercial Real Estate Review & Forecast Seminar.

Great commentary and perspective provided by Jonathan Aur of Jones Aur (Retail), Tim Mashburn of Colliers (Industrial), and Brand Cook of CBRE (Office).

LRK’s Frank Ricks gave a very informative keynote on the emerging trends in design and location in the Memphis area and across the U.S.

Kudos to Eric Barnes and team on a great seminar!

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/FZNoSO0Ubjw

Our team truly enjoys working with mission-oriented organizations, bringing needed services to Memphis communities.

We scoured the market to find the ideal property in a submarket for MHC to establish its initial presence in Memphis.

The Summer Avenue corridor is seeing tremendous capital investment from a host of businesses putting down stakes in one of Memphis’ most diverse communities.

Special thanks to and a pleasure to work w/ Jonathan Aur and Grady Cotham, of Jones Aur, who represented the Landlord.

We are pleased to introduce the newest member of our team Suzannah Fisher Ragen, who is leading Corporate Client Services.

Suzannah joined us in August and has hit the ground running working to serve a major Fortune 40 client in their expansion in the Memphis region.

She brings very strong relationship management and project management skills, having most recently served with Townsend Development as a project manager.

Suzannah inherited a “can do” spirit and a servant’s heart from her late father, John T. Fisher, a notable and accomplished business, philanthropic, and community leader who helped lead Memphis through challenging times during the civil rights era and beyond.

Welcome aboard Suzannah!!!

We are extremely proud that our 2021 transaction for the relocation of the Junior Achievement of Memphis & the Mid-South’s Headquarters and Training Center from Downtown to Binghampton has been selected as one of four finalists in the “Core Neighborhoods” category for the Best Real Estate Deals awards presented by the Memphis Business Journal!

Thank you Leigh Mansberg and the JA Board for your vision, trust, and confidence.

We are thrilled that our very own Alexis Morris is among today’s speakers for the “Women of Color and Capital Conference” this weekend in New York!!!!

Speakers include: Jumoke ‘Joy’ Fagbayi-Butts (C.S.B.C.), Uriridiakoghene (Ulili) Onovakpuri, Adeola Adejobi, Esq, Vanessa Kuhlor, Shaakira Mason-Holloway, Katelyn Gibert, Jaisa Gooden, Ekwutozia Nwabuzor, Lanre Oladipo, Sonya Rocvil, CPA, Denisha Kuhlor, Abu Fofanah, Nneka U., Lori Anne Douglass, Aarti Kotak, Amy Reischauer, Lola Banjo, Efe Ukala, Esq., Alexis McSween, Jessica Holsey, Toneille Raglan, Eda Henries, Terence Rozier-Byrd, Tanya N. Blocker, Marcia Mitchell, Tamika Tyson, Chichi Anyoku, Krishana House, Jessica Spaulding, Alexis Morris and Priscilla Askenas

Universal Commercial | Greenwood CRE Memphis Associate Broker Alexis Morris attended last week’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 51st Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

The highlight of her learning and relationship-building experience was the opportunity to have an intimate lunch meeting with business and government leaders Stanley Campbell, CEO EagleForce Associates Inc. , noted civil rights attorney Benjamin F. Crump, Assistant Secretary of Administration of the Department of Health & Human Services Cheryl R. Campbell, and Andy Ingraham, CEO of NABHOOD .

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve companies based outside of Memphis with their business interests in Memphis. Let us be your guide!

It was great to work with CeCe Baker of Crye-Leike Commercial who represented the Buyer.

We are grateful to have been selected by America’s third largest bank institution (Fortune Top 50 Corporation) as their advisor/broker in executing their growth/expansion strategy throughout the Mid-South region.

More to come.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

We are proud to support this free community gathering in the heart of the Memphis Medical District!

Please come out and enjoy this free event!!!!

Today we remember those we lost on September 11, 2001. May we always keep them at the forefront of our hearts and minds.

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We are ecstatic about the plans that Promise Development Corporation has to bring needed resources and amenities to the North Memphis Community! Stay tuned!

Our very own Darrell Cobbins
was recognized in the August edition of ‘Memphis Magazine’ as one of the “city’s movers, shakers, and newsmakers”.

Our firm was recognized by the Memphis City Council in acknowledgement of ‘National Black Business Month’ for the month of August.

We were honored to join many other Black-Owned businesses at City Hall for inspiring words from City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas who sponsored the resolution that was unanimously supported/affirmed by the full council.

Read more about National Black Business Month here:

https://lnkd.in/gwk3PvxT

Women Who Lead | Technology: Alandas Dobbins of Oteka Technologies; Lakshmi Visvanathan of Memphis-Shelby County Schools; Sandra Jeffries-Perry of Shelby County Government - Memphis Business Journal

Congratulations to our client Alandas Dobbins CEO of Oteka Technologies on being recognized in the Memphis Business Journal’s “Women Who Lead” feature section.

https://lnkd.in/gnb4Mivq

Women Who Lead | Technology: Alandas Dobbins of Oteka Technologies; Lakshmi Visvanathan of Memphis-Shelby County Schools; Sandra Jeffries-Perry of Shelby County Government - Memphis Business Journal Women Who Lead | Technology: Alandas Dobbins of Oteka Technologies; Lakshmi Visvanathan of Memphis-Shelby County Schools; Sandra Jeffries-Perry of Shelby County Government

Thank you to the National Golf Course Owners Association + PGA TOUR + LPGA + United States Golf Association - USGA + World Golf Championship + St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for the opportunity to learn about the business of the $84 billion golf industry.

Your commitment to inclusion and diversity spending is exemplary. Demystifying the process and performing routine outreach will reap dividends for the golf organizations, the tournaments, and communities where they do business.

We are proud to now be accredited by BBB of the Mid-South

Please Welcome Our New Accredited Businesses to the Better Business Bureau!

THE AVENUE DOWNTOWN
The Vegan Goddess, LLC
Universal Commercial: A New World of Real Estate
AMH Janitorial, LLC
Castle Black Construction
Crossroads Tree Service
FIRST CHOICE PROCRESSING SERVICE
Quick Dry Carpet Cleaning
Bayless Greenhouse
CGC Home Renovations, LLC
CUSTOM PLUMBING
Dent Doctor of Memphis
Easterling Pest Control
Expert Lawncare
Amazing Tree Services Inc
R & H LANDSCAPE

One of the few buildings with a river view on our Downtown office property tour for a client.

When The Memphis LIFT’s Executive Director Sarah Carpenter called, we came running!

It is always an honor to bring our expertise to bear on behalf of mission-oriented organizations that serve our community. We were proud to assist The Memphis LIFT in acquiring property that it had been leasing.

This acquisition will make way for the soon to come ‘Brenda Rogers Parent Resource Center’, located in the Hyde Park community in North Memphis. Thank you Sarah and The Memphis LIFT for the opportunity to be of service.

Northside High School Redevelopment Project Officially Named “Northside Square”

The Works Inc., the Klondike Smokey City CDC and ComCap Partners Announce Construction Set to Begin with Interior Demolition

July 27, 2022 - Memphis, TN - 1212 Vollintine Ave. has been the vacant remnants of Northside High School since 2016, but not anymore. The Works Inc., the Klondike Smokey City CDC and ComCap Partners today announced that the previously unnamed Northside redevelopment project is now Northside Square, and construction will soon be underway, beginning with interior demolition. The multi-use community hub is slated to open in 2024.

Northside Square is more than a name; it is legacy, culture, and community. A “square” is defined as an open public space found in the heart of a town. And Northside has always been at the heart of the Klondike neighborhood. Northside Square will be a safe place for the community to live, work, play and thrive - together.

“Community input was crucial for us during the naming process, because Northside Square is a place for the community, plain and simple,” said Roshun Austin, President/CEO, The Works, Inc. “Our team connected with Klondike community members and Northside Alumni through meetings, focus groups, and email. We surveyed more than 150 people with 25+ options, and the overwhelming majority chose Northside Square as their favorite. We did, too.”

Interior demolition is expected to take six to eight months, and interior renovations will begin in early 2023. Northside Square is scheduled to open in 2024. Grinder Taber Grinder is overseeing construction, with assistance from Precise Contracting*.

The design team is being led by LRK and is comprised of a diverse group of firms including Aaron Patrick Architects*, Studio Outside, and JPA*. The engineering team includes Kimley Horn, OGCB Inc., IES*, and Chad Stewart and Associates. *Indicates minority-owned firms, which make up a significant share of overall project participation.

Northside Square will serve as a community hub complete with comprehensive health care, workforce development, literacy advocacy, technical skills training, athletic, fitness, and performing and visual arts opportunities.

The 270,000-square-foot building will also include shared community amenities such as an upgraded gymnasium, a welcoming plaza, renovated courtyard, office space, retail space, affordable housing units, and a Northside High School Hall of Fame that will feature memorabilia curated by Northside alumni.

Universal Commercial is currently working with the development team to identify office, commercial and retail tenants that complement the mission of Northside Square. Interested prospective tenants should contact Brandon Ingram at [email protected]
and Alexis Morris at [email protected]

The Northside Square property sits on a 24-acre campus that includes a public library, community center, city park, aquatics center, and the Klondike Elementary School building. The development team collaborated with community leaders, Northside alumni, stakeholders, and the City of Memphis to reimagine the space into a dynamic neighborhood asset that complements the city's amenities.

Northside Square is a key part of a historic multi-million investment into Klondike, a community rich in history. Klondike was one of the first African-American communities in Memphis and is home to some of Memphis's first Black homeowners and many of the city's leaders. To learn more about Moving Klondike Forward, please visit movingklondikeforward.com.

About Northside Square:
Northside Square is the Fabric of Our Community. For generations, Northside has stitched community and opportunity together. It is a living history - a patchwork of a place built for and by black people of Memphis. Today, it continues that spirit as a multi-use community hub that provides opportunities for every individual to prosper. Northside Square is where the threads of what was and what is become the fabric of what’s next. More information will be available soon at northsidesquare.com.

About The Works, Inc:
The Works, Inc. is a nonprofit community development corporation that rebuilds, restores, and renews Memphis neighborhoods and families through innovation, advocacy and collaboration with housing, economic development, and social services. Learn more at theworkscdc.org.

About the Klondike Smokey City CDC:
As the community development corporation for two of the oldest African-American communities in North Memphis, the Klondike Smokey City CDC provides community, workforce, housing and family development resources to support the revitalization, economic growth and historical restoration of both communities. Learn more at ksccdc.org.

About ComCap Partners:
ComCap Partners strives to revitalize neighborhoods, drive economic development, and create sustainable communities by providing quality affordable housing, redeveloping community assets, and finding creative financing solutions for complex real estate and municipal projects.

Learn more at comcap-partners.com.

Congratulations to Brandon Ingram and Alexis Morris in serving this client and identifying for them a quality location in the bellwether of the Memphis Office market. Special thanks to Kathy Pampuro of Boyle Investment Company who represented the Landlord.

Congratulations to SOL Engineers in relocating its Memphis office to One Commerce Square. It was an honor for us to serve them throughout this process.

Appreciative of the opportunity to join a few fellow office brokers in meeting the new owners of the iconic Crescent Center and learning about the new world-class improvements to the lobby, fitness center, and the making of move-in ready suites.

Great job Ron Kastner and team!

Checking in on our client and their new HQ on the burgeoning Summer Avenue corridor.

Construction is in full bloom and they should be finished and occupying very soon. Great work Andy Nix!!!

A great day to tour a client through one of Downtown Memphis’ most historic/revitalized office buildings. The A/C was an added benefit.

Our Brokers Brandon Ingram (VP) and Alexis Morris (Associate) were elated to join the leaders/members of the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association for their Spring Mixer at the Hu Hotel .hotel Rooftop overlooking the mighty Mississippi River in Downtown Memphis

We look forward to supporting the next relationship building opportunity with this stellar group of legendary and emerging legal professionals.

Thank you Madam President 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Junior Achievement president revitalizes Memphis entrepreneur program

Our client Leigh Mansberg of Junior of Achievement of Memphis & The Mid-South is a true force for good, fostering opportunities for our youth.

This article brings to life all that we appreciate and love about Leigh and her devotion to her daily work and JA’s long-term mission.

https://lnkd.in/gHFWXpUN

Junior Achievement president revitalizes Memphis entrepreneur program Leigh Mansberg has unleashed her own entrepreneurial bent to reshape the way JA works, digging down to formularize the can-do energy that was the air she breathed growing up.

Two Memphians selected for Harvard fellowships

Congratulations to our client Derwin Sisnett of Maslow Development Inc for receiving this distinguished and well-deserved honor.

https://dailymemphian.com/section/metro/article/29377/memphis-pair-chosen-for-loeb-fellowships-at-harvard

Two Memphians selected for Harvard fellowships The Loeb Fellowship will include a year on Harvard’s campus where all fellows will participate in research, audit courses, convene workshops, and conferences as a way of expanding their work through social engagement.

From PBS’ American Experience:

“On June 19, 1865, more than two months after the end of the Civil War, Union troops under the command of General Gordon Granger entered Galveston, Texas, and announced to the people there that enslaved African Americans were henceforth free. Though the Emancipation Proclamation had declared freedom for the enslaved in rebellious states more than two and a half years earlier, it was not until June 19, 1865 that the enforcement of President Lincoln’s executive action by the Union Army in the South began.

For the generations that followed this event, June 19 — or Juneteenth, as it would come to be known — stood as the euphoric embodiment of the moment of liberation, and as a focal point around which to celebrate the achievements of Black culture, community and heritage in the United States and beyond.

Juneteenth did not see the freeing of all enslaved people in the U.S., however. Several Union-held border states would maintain slavery until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6, 1865.

Juneteenth celebrations have widely expanded across the country since the day became a national holiday in 2021, when the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law.

In this PBS collection, explore programs that tell the history of Juneteenth and show the joy of communities coming together in celebrations of independence.”

https://lnkd.in/g5FuJdpG