100 North Main

Last updated

100 North Main
100 North Main St, Memphis TN.jpg
100 North Main
100 North Main
General information
Architectural style International 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 access Bus-logo.svg MATA
BSicon BRILL.svg   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.

Contents

History

Finished in 1965, 100 North Main has remained a focal point of the Memphis riverfront skyline. The building was designed by Robert Lee Hall, the architect of Memphis' largest office building (based on square footage), Clark Tower, as well as Patterson Hall at the University of Memphis.

100 North Main is an almost identical, taller version of the 633 Building in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Due to its proximity to various municipal buildings, 100 North Main's tenant base consisted primarily of attorneys, title companies, and various other professionals involved with government business and the courts.

In 2006, the aging office tower was priced for sale at $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] The building sold for $5 million in August 2013, valuing the building's 436,280 square feet (40,532 m2) of office space at approximately $11 per square foot.

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]

Currently, 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

For many years, 100 North Main was crowned with a large illuminated "UP Bank" sign, visible for miles. The sign was dismantled in late 2005 due to the acquisition of Union Planters National Bank by Regions Bank. As of April 2007, the sign had not been replaced and the tower's top cap was a blue, empty box giving the building a somewhat abandoned appearance. Because of the "UP Bank" sign, many Memphians mistakenly believe that 100 North Main was the headquarters building of Union Planters, although the bank's actual headquarters was at 67 Madison Avenue and, later, 6200 Poplar Avenue.

The building was constructed with a revolving restaurant atop the main roof. This restaurant operated under several different owners and names (Top of the 100 Club, Pinnacle, etc.), but is now vacant. Behind the restaurant was a Japanese garden which closed in 1971. A few large stones and a concrete path are all that remain of the garden today.

The base of the tower is a multilevel parking garage. Some retail space is also accessible from street-level entrances.

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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Louisville</span> Central business district of Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west. As of 2015, the population of downtown Louisville was 4,700, although this does not include directly surrounding areas such as Old Louisville, Butchertown, NuLu, and Phoenix Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Cleveland</span> Central business district of Ohio, US

Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The economic and cultural center of the city and the Cleveland metropolitan area, it is Cleveland's oldest district, with its Public Square laid out by city founder General Moses Cleaveland in 1796.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Memphis, Tennessee</span>

Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 9 Cleveland</span> Building complex in Cleveland, Ohio

The 9 Cleveland is a residential and commercial complex located in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, at the corner of East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. It includes three buildings, the largest of which is a 29-story, 383 feet (117 m) tower commonly known by its previous name of Ameritrust Tower and formerly known as the Cleveland Trust Tower. The tower was completed in 1971 and is an example of brutalist architecture, the only high-rise building designed by Marcel Breuer and Hamilton Smith. The complex also includes the adjacent Cleveland Trust Company Building, completed in 1908, and the Swetland Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterick Building</span> United States historic place

The Sterick Building is an office building in Memphis, Tennessee. It was designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick & Co., and was completed in 1930—its name is a contraction of the original owners' names, R.E. Sterling and Wyatt Hedrick. It is a gothic-style tower, 111 m (365 ft) tall with 29 floors. When it opened it 1930 it was called the tallest building in the American South, It was the tallest building in Tennessee until 1957. It is now the fifth-tallest building in Memphis. It stands at the corner of Madison Avenue and North B.B. King Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark Tower (Memphis, Tennessee)</span> Offices in TN , US

Clark Tower is a 34-story high-rise office building located at 5100 Poplar Avenue in the East Memphis neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee. It was completed in 1972. The building is owned by Cicada Capital Partners and Eightfold Real Estate Capital L.P. and managed by Avison Young Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Beale</span>

One Beale is a proposed four-phase development in Memphis, Tennessee. Located at the corner of Beale Street and Riverside, the $400 million riverfront development located in downtown Memphis will include high-end apartments, a full-service Hyatt hotel, and space for restaurants and events stretching 5.5 acres from Beale Street to Pontotoc Avenue and along Front Street and west to the Mississippi River. As of October 2020, One Beale had three phases under construction valued at $200 million with another $200 million in the development pipeline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cityscape of Lexington, Kentucky</span> Architecture and urbanism in Lexington, Kentucky (USA)

The urban development patterns of Lexington, Kentucky, confined within an urban growth boundary protecting its famed horse farms, include greenbelts and expanses of land between it and the surrounding towns. This has been done to preserve the region's horse farms and the unique Bluegrass landscape, which bring millions of dollars to the city through the horse industry and tourism. Urban growth is also tightly restricted in the adjacent counties, with the exception of Jessamine County, with development only allowed inside existing city limits. In order to prevent rural subdivisions and large homes on expansive lots from consuming the Bluegrass landscape, Fayette and all surrounding counties have minimum lot size requirements, which range from 10 acres (40,000 m2) in Jessamine to fifty in Fayette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The St. James</span> Luxury residential skyscraper

The St. James is a luxury residential skyscraper in Washington Square West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The 498 feet (152 m), 45-story high-rise stands along Walnut Street and Washington Square and is the 15th tallest building in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermon Building</span> United States historic place

The Dermon Building is a historic building in Memphis, Tennessee, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed in 1925 by Dave Dermon at a cost of around $800,000. From the time it was constructed, until 1983, it was the home of Dave Dermon Company, and Dave Dermon Insurance. 'Papa' sold the building in the 1930s, and although it has changed hands many times, it is still known as the Dermon Building today.

300 East Pratt Street is a proposed skyscraper in Baltimore, Maryland. The building, originally expected to rise 640 feet (200 m), is current on hold due to high vacancy rates in the city. Construction of the building was to begin in 2007 and was originally expected to be completed in 2010. The construction of this building was proposed in 2003, though, it was never approved by the state of Maryland. In 2006, the construction of the building was again proposed, and finally approved by the state of Maryland. The building is being built where the Hearst Production Building once stood. Plans are now scaled back to 40 stories and 300,000 square feet of office space, in addition to a 270-room hotel. 300 East Pratt Street is located in Baltimore, MD between Commerce and South streets, housed the former Baltimore News-American building. It has been vacant and used for a parking lot for decades. However, parking lot owner InterPark LLC purchased the site in August 2013 after a redevelopment plan proposed by Urban America LP in 2006 fell apart during the recession. As of January 2022, MCB Real Estate LLC owns and is developing the property. No further plans or details have been provided at this time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln American Tower</span>

The Lincoln American Tower is a 22-story building located at the corner of North Main and Court streets in Memphis, Tennessee. It is also a historical landmark, one of the first steel frame skyscrapers built in Memphis. The tower underwent a six-year refurbishing project starting in 2002, and despite a fire in 2006, is now open and accepting tenants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">211 North Ervay</span> Office in Dallas, Texas

211 North Ervay is a high rise located at 211 North Ervay Street in the City Center District of Dallas, Texas, United States. The building rises 250 feet and contains 18 floors of office space. The colorful building of modernist design is situated on a prominent city corner and adjacent to Thanks-Giving Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham Center</span> Commercial and residential in PA, USA

Chatham Center is a 5.5 acre commercial and residential building complex located within Downtown Pittsburgh. It is bounded by the Interstate 579 on the west, Centre Avenue on the north, Washington Place on the east, and Fifth Avenue to the south. Comprising a 2,200 car parking garage, Marriott Hotel, residential condominium building, and office and retail space, Chatham Center is a located adjacent to PPG Paints Arena and Duquesne University nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exchange Building (Memphis)</span> 1910 skyscraper in Memphis, Tennessee

The Exchange Building is a 19-story skyscraper, which was formerly known as the Cotton Exchange Building and the Merchants Exchange Building, and is the twelfth-tallest building in Memphis, Tennessee. It should not be confused with the Memphis Cotton Exchange which is located on Front Street and Union Avenue. The Exchange Building is located at the corner of Second Street and Madison Avenue in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is 264.0 feet (80.5 m) tall and has 217,244 square feet (20,182.6 m2) of living space. The building is made of steel and concrete, and employs many decorative elements including Tennessee marble, granite, and detailed plaster work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosstown Concourse</span> Mixed-use development in Memphis, Tennessee

Crosstown Concourse is a mixed-use development in Memphis, Tennessee. Originally built in 1927 as a Sears retail store and catalog order plant, the building was closed in 1993. A 2015–2017 renovation brought in retail, restaurants, office spaces, and apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Lee Hall</span> American architect

Robert Lee Hall was an architect based in Memphis, Tennessee who established the firm of Robert Lee Hall and Associates. He designed Clark Tower in East Memphis, 100 North Main in downtown Memphis, and Patterson Hall at the University of Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">420 Main</span> Edifice in Evansville, Indiana

The 420 Main Building was a 248-foot, 18-story office building located at 420 Main Street in downtown Evansville, Indiana. The building was the headquarters of the Old National Bank until the bank moved its headquarters to a new location in 2004. The building stood nearly vacant for the next 12 years, and was the tallest building in the city until its demolition in 2021.

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". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  4. "100 North Main Delayed Again". Commercialappeal.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  5. "100 North Main Owner Plans Massive Project". Bizjournals.com. 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.
Preceded by Tallest Building in Memphis
1965 - Present
131m
Succeeded by
-

35°08′52″N90°03′03″W / 35.1478°N 90.0509°W / 35.1478; -90.0509