After Renovation

The Crosstown Concourse

Twenty years after Sears abandoned the Crosstown store and warehouse, Christopher Miner and Todd Richardson saw potential in the vacant Sears building. As co-founders of Crosstown Arts, they used the vacant space for “pop-up” art and performance events drawing on the diverse community surrounding the building. The success of these events led to the idea of creating a “vertical urban village” in the old building. Todd Richardson was joined by McLean Wilson, principal at Kemmons Wilson Companies, who aided with the financial side of developing a multi-use community that would potentially include housing, restaurants, school, healthcare, office space, businesses, theater, and more in one structure.

The original tenants supporting the undertaking included Church Health, Crosstown Arts, Methodist LeBonheur, Memphis Teacher Residency, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, A Step Ahead Foundation, Christian Brothers University, City Leadership, Crosstown Back Institute, The Excel Center, The Poplar Foundation, The Pyramid Peak Foundation, Southern College of Optometry and Teacher Town USA.

In 2013, the National Park Service placed the building on the National Registry of Historic Places. This designation shaped the work of renovation, including the design and materials used. With a total cost of $56.9 million, Looney Ricks Kiss (LRK) spearheaded the renovation of the Sears Crosstown Building into an affordable, environmentally-friendly landmark in the Memphis community. Maintaining the original goals of Sears, the Crosstown Concourse ensures that twenty percent of all commercial space is affordable for families who live below median income. Sears’ legacy is helping shape Memphis’s current community and economy.

Crosstown Concourse has received several awards for the innovative use and adaptation of the space. In 2018, the Memphis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized LRK with the Honor Award of Excellence for innovation/restoration of the building. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) awarded their Platinum Certification for historic adaptive reuse in energy efficiency. Trane honored the development team as a national Energy Efficiency Leader in 2017.

Written by Olivia House, Class of 2018

Renovation images