Thursday, January 7, 2010
Changing the Guard
Jeff Sanford looks back on a decade at the Center City Commission.
Posted by John Branston on Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 4:00 AM
When Jeff Sanford took over as head of the Center City Commission in 1998, the Pyramid's empty space was being touted as the future home of a Grammy Museum; AutoZone Park and FedExForum and most of Peabody Place had not been built; office buildings were giving way to housing; and the shortcomings of a pedestrian mall were painfully obvious.
In other words, while some things about downtown have changed, some have stayed the same.
Sanford, 67, announced last month that he plans to leave his job in July to go into consulting. So when we sat down this week for an exit interview, it was really only half exit interview and half what's-your-last-act interview.
Exuberantly praised last year by Councilman Joe Brown for his "guts" and, uh, manliness, Sanford is an amiable, low-key guy with a reined-in ego, a small office across the plaza from City Hall, a staff of 15 administrators, and a $3.5 million operating budget. A member of the City Council himself from 1977 to 1983, Sanford reminded me that he still has six months to go and then honed in on nitty-gritty details of downtown infrastructure before we got to the big stuff.
The CCC to-do list for 2010 includes sprucing up streets and alleys, cracking down on panhandlers and sales of single beers and "pesky street behavior," and handing over management of street parking to a private company. A master of finding empty spaces and milking parking meters for a couple of hours on 50 cents, I looked nervously out the window at the mention of this one.
"We have not been very successful in finding the money to implement the 2001 Streetscape Master Plan for 80 square blocks of downtown," he said. "We have spent about $5 million of the $75 million that is needed."
The Center City Commission is a relatively modern invention, dating back some 35 years. What gave it clout was the blessing of key developers and its ability to grant tax freezes as an incentive to develop new properties like Barbaro Flats or fix up old buildings like Lincoln American Tower. Depending on your point of view, the glass is half-full or half-empty. Some $5 billion has been invested downtown in the last 15 years, but the four corners of the intersection of Union and the Main Street mall remain vacant.
"Changing a neighborhood or a city takes decades, not days," he said. "I've had to learn the true meaning of the expression that patience is a virtue."
Here's what he had to say about some hot-button topics.
On Bass Pro: "Given the choices, it is still the best option. It's that or an empty building."
On cars on the mall: "Someone came here and said it could be done for a few thousand dollars, but when you start looking at the details, it isn't easy. It would take $10 million to return cars to the mall. It's like forcing a square peg in a round hole."
On Mud Island park, which went from a $20 million project to a $60 million project while he was a councilman: "One problem has always been coming up with a reason to return. I'm hopeful that plans will include new reasons to make return visits."
On the Sterick Building and other "big empties": "As developers say, it simply doesn't pencil. Not as a hotel, residential, or office. Boarding up broken windows with plywood is not putting the best face on downtown. We need a higher standard."
On whether there is a need for both the CCC and Riverfront Development Corporation: "Next question. I've been asked that before, but I'm not in position to make a judgment."
On consolidation of city and county government: "I have been a proponent since before my council days."
On AutoZone Park: "Look for new ownership of the physical property as well as the team. Something other than it falling back on the taxpayers."
On whether Midtown, Whitehaven, or other areas should have development corporations: "New York has close to 60 CCCs. I see no reason why it couldn't potentially work in other locations."
On future consulting: "I plan to take what I learned here over 12 years and offer my advice to city builders in other cities and maybe even help analyze market opportunities here."
We were out of time. My parking meter had clicked over to red. No ticket. Another revenue opp lost. Take that, CCC.
Comments (10)
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In 2000, Herenton took the riverfront away from CCC and handed it over to the RDC, leaving Sanford to just bite his tongue. In 2002, the RDC came up with a plan to compete with CCC, building a "prestigious new downtown" on a $300M land bridge, while the real downtown languished. Sanford still had to bite his tongue. The land bridge is dead and Herenton is gone but, not knowing where Wharton stands yet, Sanford prefers to keep his mouth shut. He's just being smart.
Now let's hope that Wharton will just put an end to this 10-year fiasco.
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" the Pyramid's empty space was being touted as the future home of a Grammy Museum"
Would have been far better as that.
"AutoZone Park and FedExForum and most of Peabody Place had not been built"
Would have been better had they NOT Been built.
"office buildings were giving way to housing"
Great if you're rich white people.
Downtown Memphis has come a long way under Jeff's stewardship. While it may take time lapse photography to dramatically demonstrate that fact, there is little question that he, together with the Belzes and Henry Turley are responsible for rejuvenating the city's epicenter.
WinterMute - You hit the nail on the head. If anyone disputes you tell them to attend one of the membership meetings for the Downtown Neighborhood Association or South Main Association.
You will find more diversity in in 500 count package of notebook filler paper.
Downtown Memphis blows.
Peabody place was shut because the socialites didn't want to deal with young blacks with droopy drawers and sideways hats. You won't find low cost housing downtown because socialites don't want starving musicians, Mexican laborers and other "commoners" mingling in their effete neighborhoods.
You won't find a single basketball court down there, nor a place for skaters or tennis players.
You can buy a $100 generic polo shirt with a pig sewn onto the chest but you won't find a $20 p air of jeans.
You can grossly overpay for groceries at Miss Cordelia's but you won't find a reasonable grocery store.
As the most progressive and succedssful President in the history of the Downtown Neighborhood Association I can tell you first hand, EVERYTHING about downtown Memphis is designed to keep Joe-Bag-a-Donuts as far away as possible.
Should BAss Pro build their mega store in the Pyramid, and it seems pretty clear that they will, the entire arena of downtown will change. It will be flooded by people, families actually, who will overwhelming pressure Memphis into becoming more Cosmopolitan.
Keep the faith, it won't be much longer before the downtown socialites will be inaudible and invisible.
Tommy V wants to promote the idea that downtown is packed full of white elitists. Go to the membership meetings he says. He was the president of the DNA until he sent out an antisemitic newsletter. I don't know if he is one to talk. He obviously got run out by far more tolerant people than he is, heading out to G'town to the mecca of diversity isn't a contradiction. I do think the DNA and SMA are a bit of a joke. But they don't really represent downtown. Renaissance building has $550 apartments. Exchange building is equally affordable. Uptown is another example of an affordable way to live downtown. And there are more. The Warehouse on GE Patterson consistently gives musicians a nice venue to promote themselves/practice. Peabody closed because Malls suck. People who live downtown aren't there because of the great malls and the proximity of Target. TV got his feelings hurt when the membership of DNA didn't agree with his assessment of eternal life and those who might qualify. So now he wants to bash downtowners at every opportunity. He has no idea what downtown is and his newsletter rant is proof.
"As the most progressive and succedssful President in the history of the Downtown Neighborhood Association" who also won accolades for his modesty and lack of self-promotion!!
Talk about being bitter!
While I do agree with 'mute about the Forum, downtown has certainly come a long way from when I was kid, and especially in the last 10 to 15 years.
38103 I was President until what anti-semitic newsletter?
I would ask you to show us where I ever said anything about Jews. Please, show us.
Now, did some Jews take offense that I called out ALL religions that do not accept Jesus Christ as a misguided faith?
You will find none who support Israel more than I, but that doesn't excuse the fact that ANYONE who does not accept Christ IS misguided. Jesus Christ himself was rejected, and he admonished Israel for it. None the less, the Jews are Christ's chosen people. Do you call Christ an anti-semite? HE called Israel misguided.
Disobedient, misguided BUT, all who deny Christ will get their chance in the end to accept him. Otherwise, regardless of faith, without Christ, there is no heaven, no salvation and no hope. There will be and are NO non Christians in heaven. That's just how it is.
There was nothing anti semitic about Christ calling the Jews misguided, nor in mine.
Regrding Peabody place. ask Sanford. The businesses were profitable. The problem was Downtown elitists didn't want young blacks anywhere within eye sight.
Those are the facts. And by the way, I was President of the DNA long after the letter you refer to. I served my full term, with larger membership than at any time in organization history, a higher checkbook balance and more notoriety and clout.
I was so successful that after my two-year term I was again returned to the Presidency. I only accepted the position provisionally since I was moving out of racist, elitist downtown.
Now you have the facts.
I'm wondering why in the world anyone who is part of a non-religious organization, such as the DNA, which has members of diverse faiths, no faith, etc., would ever think it is appropriate in any way shape or form to inject their personal religious beliefs into the business of that organization, or make religion an issue at all with that organization. BTW, Tommy, your New testament was actually made up after the fact to make it appear that jesus was the son of god, and to make it appear that the Jews were responsible for his death, instead of the Roman Empire, who actually executed him. For sedition, I might add.
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