How Downtown Memphis' future is being built upon its past

Good morning, Memphis!

This is Features and Business Editor Erin Munz, and you're reading the Daily Briefing, our one-stop digital shop for the best Memphis stories from our award-winning Commercial Appeal team.

The Sterick Building and 100 N. Main are Downtown Memphis' tallest buildings. They're also part of a trend that is key to Downtown's revitalization: adaptive reuse.

Among the things that make Memphis unique is the wealth of historic properties in the city's Downtown core, including the Sterick and 100 N. Main — both of which are slated for massive redevelopment projects.

“Downtown Memphis isn’t like anyplace, USA, and that’s an advantage," said Brett Roler, Downtown Memphis Commission chief operations officer.

Developers are seeing that advantage as they invest in and revitalize these properties, using the old to make Downtown new again.

In this story, Neil Strebig explains how adaptive reuse is playing out in Downtown Memphis and what it means to future development in the area.

➤What's that?: We've all been there. You're out and about and notice a building under construction or a business moving into an empty storefront. "What's that?" you think. Well, wonder no more. We're here to answer that question. In our latest "What's that?" development spotlight, Corey Davis looks at what's under construction near Bowlero off Stage Road in Bartlett. You can find that story here. (Have a suggestion for our "What's that?" feature? You can send ideas to erin.munz@commercialappeal.com.)

➤Real estate news: Home prices in Tennessee are overvalued at twice the national average, according to a recent report by credit analyst Fitch Ratings. Memphis was identified in the report as the metropolitan area with the highest overvaluation when compared to the 50 most populated metro areas, Molly Davis reports here.

➤"Conservation for a Continent": In the race to protect North America's at-risk wetlands, Ducks Unlimited, along with its Canadian and Mexican counterparts, recently crossed the $2 billion mark in funds raised for large-scale wildlife conservation, well on the way toward the campaign's $3 billion goal by 2026, Micaela Watts reports in this story.

➤New Memphis music: Memphis singer-songwriter Cyrena Wages is releasing her debut album, “Vanity Project,” a 10-track roots-pop confessional. In this story, Bob Mehr looks at Wages' journey and how the album came together.

➤Grill like a pro: Firing up the grill this Memorial Day weekend? We pulled this story out of The CA archives just for you. You can find some tried-and-true grilling tips from Memphis barbecue experts here. Happy grilling!

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