Memphis News: 20 Years Closed, Not Forgotten : Investors Step Up to Revive the Mid-South Coliseum
- Dr. Layne McDonald
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Illustration.
By Dr. Layne McDonald, Founder of Memphis News with a Purpose Aug. 19, 2026 | Arts & Culture / Business & Development / Good News
Direct Answer First
The Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy says private investors have pledged approximately 30% to 40% of the $200,000 needed to launch an initial development plan for the historic Memphis venue, which has been closed for 20 years.
Corey Strong told Memphis City Council members Tuesday that dozens of people are committed to helping fund the next phase. The immediate challenge is aligning the Conservancy’s vision with city administrators so that a formal planning and development process can begin. However, pledges are not necessarily collected funds, and no final redevelopment plan, complete financing package, construction schedule, or reopening date has been confirmed by the supplied source.
What Investors Have Pledged
Strong, a co-founder of the Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy, briefed the Memphis City Council on Aug. 18 during the Economic Development, Tourism and Technology Committee meeting.
The city’s official agenda listed an “Update on the Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy” as the committee’s first item. The Conservancy is seeking support for an initial study and pre-development planning process, reportedly in partnership with Memphis architecture firm LRK.
Strong said private investors have pledged between 30% and 40% of the estimated $200,000 needed to begin that work. In practical terms, that represents approximately $60,000 to $80,000 if the pledge percentage is applied directly to the full planning estimate.
That distinction matters: a pledge is an expression of financial commitment, not necessarily money already deposited, collected, or legally obligated. The Conservancy and city officials will still need to clarify the timing, conditions, documentation, and availability of any private funds.
The initial $200,000 goal also should not be confused with the much larger cost of repairing and reopening the building. Planning funds may help determine the building’s condition, future use, legal requirements, operating model, and potential construction costs. They do not represent a complete renovation budget.
Strong told council members that private financing is expected to play a central role in the project. He also warned that the city continues to spend money maintaining a building that is not currently generating venue revenue.
“Every day we wait, we’re losing money on that property,” Strong said, according to reporting by The Commercial Appeal.
What Remains Before a Plan Can Start
The next hurdle is not simply fundraising. It is coordination.
Strong is asking the Council for a vote of confidence that could help the Conservancy continue discussions with Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s administration and other city officials. The public agenda confirms that the Council received an update, but it does not establish that a final redevelopment agreement has been approved.
Several important steps remain:
City administrators and the Conservancy must align on the project’s scope.
The parties must clarify what the initial LRK study will examine.
Private pledges must be verified and translated into available planning funds.
Engineers and preservation professionals must evaluate the building’s condition.
The city and Conservancy must determine the legal and financial structure for future work.
Residents should have opportunities to understand and respond to any major proposal.
A future financing package would need to identify who pays for repairs, construction, operations, insurance, accessibility improvements, and long-term maintenance.
The supplied account says council members agree the building should be revamped. That support should be understood as an expression of interest or encouragement: not as proof that the city has approved a final project, committed construction dollars, or guaranteed a reopening.
A wise public process will welcome both hope and scrutiny. Memphis can encourage preservation while still asking practical questions about cost, access, neighborhood impact, parking, safety, programming, and long-term sustainability.
Why the Coliseum Matters
The Mid-South Coliseum opened in 1964 and closed in 2006. For many Memphians, it is more than an aging arena. It is a place connected to family memories, Memphis Tigers basketball, concerts, civic gatherings, and generations of entertainment history.
The building’s future has been debated for years. Some residents and preservation advocates believe it can become a multiuse cultural and economic development asset connected to Liberty Park. Others have questioned whether the cost of restoring an older structure would be justified when Memphis already has newer event facilities.
Both perspectives deserve a hearing.
The Coliseum’s supporters see an opportunity to preserve a distinctive part of Memphis identity while creating new activity in an area that already attracts visitors. Critics and skeptics may reasonably ask whether nostalgia can support a viable business model, whether renovation costs could rise sharply, and whether public resources would be better directed elsewhere.
That is why a study can be valuable: if it is transparent, professionally conducted, and honest about both opportunities and limitations.
The Coliseum’s future remains undecided, but its place in Memphis memory is firmly established.
Memphis has seen other examples of historic places receive new life through creative partnerships. Our previous coverage of the Chelsea Wall Murals and community development in Memphis explored how public art and shared investment can strengthen a neighborhood without erasing its history.
The question for the Coliseum is similar: Can Memphis preserve what matters while building something useful for the future?
How Residents Can Follow the Process
Residents do not have to wait for a groundbreaking ceremony to become involved. The most important public decisions are often made during the early planning stages.
Memphians can:
Review future Memphis City Council agendas and committee discussions.
Watch for updates from the Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy.
Ask whether financial pledges have been collected, documented, or conditioned.
Request clear information about the proposed study and its deliverables.
Attend public meetings and communicate respectfully with council representatives.
Support constructive conversation among preservationists, business leaders, neighborhood residents, and city officials.
Follow ongoing local reporting and the Memphis News with a Purpose blog.
The Aug. 18 Memphis City Council committee agenda is an important starting point for understanding how the update entered the public process.
Residents should also resist two extremes: declaring the Coliseum saved before a plan exists, or declaring it hopeless before the facts are fully examined.
Christian Takeaway
Scripture teaches us to value faithful beginnings.
“Who dares despise the day of small things?” : Zechariah 4:10
A pledge toward a planning study is a small step compared with the work required to restore a major public building. But small steps can matter when they are guided by wisdom, honesty, service, and perseverance.
The Christian response is not to baptize every proposal as guaranteed success. It is to pray for truth, practice stewardship, and treat neighbors with dignity throughout the process.
Jesus Christ calls His followers to be people of truth and peace. That means we can celebrate good news without exaggerating it. We can support preservation without ignoring costs. We can ask hard questions without attacking the people trying to serve Memphis.
A building can wait. A city must keep building: trust, accountability, opportunity, and a shared future.
“A building can wait. A city must keep building.” : Memphis News with a Purpose
How to Pray/Engage
Pray for wisdom for Corey Strong, the Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy, city administrators, Mayor Paul Young, and Memphis City Council members.
Pray that private investors will act with integrity and that any public conversation will be based on facts rather than pressure or political division. Pray for the engineers, architects, preservationists, business leaders, and residents who may help shape the next stage.
Then engage constructively:
Learn what has actually been proposed.
Separate collected funds from verbal pledges.
Ask for public documentation.
Listen to people who support preservation and those who raise concerns.
Encourage a process that protects taxpayers and honors Memphis history.
Jeremiah 29:7 gives a helpful framework:
“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you… and pray to the Lord on its behalf.”
Seeking Memphis’s welfare means caring about its history, its finances, its neighborhoods, its families, and its future at the same time.
Peacemaker’s Perspective
The Coliseum debate does not have to become another Memphis fight defined by suspicion and insults.
Peacemakers do not avoid disagreement. They help people disagree honestly and respectfully. They make room for preservation advocates who see cultural value, fiscal conservatives who demand accountability, city officials who must manage public assets, and residents who want their neighborhoods included in the conversation.
The strongest next step is not a premature victory announcement. It is a clear, shared process with measurable milestones:
What exactly will the $200,000 study produce?
Who has pledged money, and under what conditions?
What decisions belong to the city?
What decisions belong to private investors?
How will residents participate?
What evidence will determine whether redevelopment is feasible?
If the answers demonstrate responsibility, Memphis can move forward with confidence. If the answers reveal serious obstacles, the city can respond honestly before spending more money.
FAQ
Is the Mid-South Coliseum being reopened?
No reopening has been confirmed. The Conservancy is seeking support for an initial study and pre-development planning process.
How much money has private investment covered?
The Conservancy says private investors have pledged approximately 30% to 40% of the $200,000 needed to launch the development plan: roughly $60,000 to $80,000. The supplied source does not establish that all pledged funds have been collected.
Has Memphis City Council approved the redevelopment?
The Council received an update and Strong requested a vote of confidence. No final redevelopment plan, construction authorization, complete financing package, or reopening date is confirmed by the supplied source.
Why is the Coliseum important to Memphis?
The venue operated from 1964 until 2006 and hosted Memphis Tigers basketball, concerts, and other major events. Supporters believe preserving it could protect Memphis history while creating new cultural and economic activity near Liberty Park.
Where can residents follow updates?
Residents can review City Council agendas, attend public meetings, follow updates from the Mid-South Coliseum Conservancy, and read ongoing coverage through the Memphis News with a Purpose news hub.
Call to Action
Visit www.laynemcdonald.com/news-memphis for continuing Memphis coverage, share this article with someone who remembers the Coliseum, and tell us: What questions should city leaders and investors answer before the next phase begins?
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