Cohen Announces $1.26 Million for Memphis Aerotropolis/Lamar Corridor Master Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Memphis a Community Challenge Grant worth $1,260,905 for development of an Aerotropolis/Lamar Corridor Master Plan. HUD worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation in awarding these new federal funds, which will focus on spurring economic development, rehabilitating blighted and vacant properties, and improving transportation infrastructure.

“The Memphis Aerotropolis is more than a transportation network – it is an economic development engine for the Mid-South,” said Congressman Cohen, who met recently with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss this grant. “These new federal funds will help Memphis maximize the economic impact of the Aerotropolis and enable us to compete more effectively in a 21st Century global economy.”

Congressman Cohen authored the Aerotropolis Act of 2010 (H.R. 5236) in May, which has the potential to provide Memphis with millions in federal funding for the Memphis Aerotropolis transportation system.

The urban area around the Memphis International Airport was recently dubbed an Aerotropolis – a new type of urban form comprising aviation intensive businesses and related enterprises extending out from major airports.

Anticipated Project Benefits:

• Economic development efforts will retain and expand the number of commercial and industrial jobs in existing employment centers.
• Redevelopment efforts will reduce the percentage of housing units with serious building code violations.
• Transit improvements will increase ridership, reduce vehicle miles traveled and shorten commutes.

Project Highlights:

• Strengthen Local Economies: Through this process the Memphis Aerotropolis, a group of more than 60 public, private and non-profit entities, will determine a strategy for bolstering the area job market.
• Create Location-Efficient, Inclusive Communities: Plan to demolish or rehabilitate vacant and blighted housing while increasing transportation options for underserved communities.