Memphis In May will officially return to Tom Lee Park this year.
Memphis in May International Festival (MIM) signed a contract with Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) on Friday, according to an image posted to MIM’s Facebook page Tuesday.
The two agencies have tangled publicly since MRPP’s plan to renovate the riverside park was unveiled in 2019. That $62 million plan includes adding contours, built amenities, trees, and landscaping to what was a flat, open plain.
The plain was an empty canvas for MIM’s big festivals, the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. MIM has been vocal for years now that the new park amenities would shrink the size of the festivals and their crowds. However, MRPP contends it will not.
However, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland entered the two groups into mediation to hammer out a plan. The plan ensured the park could be renovated and have spaces big enough for MIM’s festivals.
Both signed the agreement, though MIM president and CEO Jim Holt has continued to complain about the park plan, as recently as last month when he told Memphis City Council members the plan put his festivals “in jeopardy.” At the time, the MRPP and MIM contract was snagged on insurance provisions and council members asked the groups to work together for a resolution.
On Tuesday, the council approved a resolution to use up to $500,000 in taxpayer money to pay for damages done to the park. Anything above that amount will be paid by MIM.
“Signed, sealed, and delivered!” MIM posted (above) on Facebook Tuesday. “Memphis in May has a signed lease for Tom Lee Park. There was never a doubt we’d be back home on the river in 2023.”
However, Facebook commenter Eric Groff said, …“except for all the doubts you folks expressed in the media…”
In a statement on Facebook, MRPP said park construction is now more than 80 percent complete.
“Memphians can now look forward to the opening of a great park at the edge of our nation’s most storied river,” read the statement. “An unforgettable civic celebration will mark the opening this Labor Day weekend.”
