100 North Main

For the building in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, see 100 North Main Street.

100 North Main
100 North Main in 2016
Map
General information
Architectural styleInternational style
Location100 North Main Street
Memphis, Tennessee
Completed1965
Height
Roof430 ft (130 m)
Technical details
Floor count37
Floor area436,272 square feet (40,500 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Robert Lee Hall
Main contractorSouthern Builders, Inc of Tennessee
Other information
Public transit accessBus interchange MATA
Heritage streetcar  Main Street Line 
One Hundred North Main Building
NRHP reference No.15000187[1]
Added to NRHPApril 24, 2015

100 North Main is the tallest building in Memphis, Tennessee. At 430 feet, (131m) it has 37 floors and stands bordering Adams Avenue, North Second Street, and North Main. The building is currently totally vacant and closed to public entry. Plans for renovation to convert the building to hotel and apartments have repeatedly failed. The building stands abandoned and fenced off as of May 2016. The building has been condemned by Shelby County Environmental Court since late 2015 when it was discovered that chunks of concrete were falling from the building's exterior walls, as well as the elevators being inoperable and the fire safety systems not being up to code or functional. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

History

In 2006, the aging office tower was priced for sale at US$20 million. Due to limited demand for commercial office space in downtown Memphis, much office space began to decline in value. In January 2012, only 30% of the building was occupied.[2]

In February 2014, the building's new owners revealed plans to convert the building into apartments and a hotel at a cost of almost $100 million. Construction began in June 2014, after all remaining tenants vacated the building.[3]

The building stands abandoned and fenced off as of May 2016. The building has been condemned by Shelby County Environmental Court since late 2015 when it was discovered that chunks of concrete were falling from the building's exterior walls, as well as the elevators being inoperable and the fire safety systems not being up to code or functional.[4]

On January 8, 2018, the current owner of 100 North Main, New York-based Townhouse Management Co., made public plans to convert the building into a 550-room Loews Hotel with 220 apartment units. The developer also planned to build a new, 34 story office tower on an adjacent property.[5]

On March 9, 2021, the Downtown Memphis Commission purchased 100 North Main from Townhouse Management Co. for $12 million. As a part of the agreement, all lawsuits against Townhouse regarding the building were dropped.[6]

As of mid-2023, the building remains vacant and open to the elements on upper floors. Urban explorers have filmed the decaying interior. [7]

Design features

In their 1986 book Memphis: An Architectural Guide, authors Eugene J. Johnson and Robert D. Russell, Jr. called 100 North Main "one of the least interesting" downtown structures.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 4/20/15 through 4/24/15". National Park Service. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "Downtown Memphis Commission". Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  3. ^ "100 North Main to Become Apartments, Hotel in $100M Redevelopment". Memphis Business Journal. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  4. ^ "100 North Main Delayed Again". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  5. ^ "100 North Main Owner Plans Massive Project". Memphis Business Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  6. ^ Kennedy, Corinne S. "100 North Main: $12 million loan to buy derelict Downtown skyscraper OK'd by DMC board". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. ^ "100 North Main: Abandoned Skyscraper". The Art of Abandonment. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.

Media related to 100 North Main (Memphis, Tennessee) at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by Tallest Building in Memphis
1965 - Present
131m 		Succeeded by
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