Crosstown Concourse
Only five years in existence, Crosstown Concourse has quickly become a beloved spot for locals. Its fascinating history gives it a sense of endurance that inspires all who step through its doors.
Imagination and Ingenuity
Crosstown Concourse was originally built in 1927 as a Sears distribution center. Its construction was crucial in transforming Memphis’ identity into a national transportation and shipping hub. The Sears Concourse building represented a new future for the city of Memphis, and it drew crowds of thousands to its unveiling.
In the early nineties Sears closed their distribution center.
However, in 1993, Sears announced that it would be closing its distribution center in Memphis, leaving the building vacant. The neighborhood surrounding the Sears Concourse quickly began to feel its absence as a major center of commerce in the city, and nearby shops and restaurants began to close shortly afterwards.
Thankfully, this was not to be the end for this gargantuan and historic building. In the 2010s, visionaries began to reimagine a new future for the Concourse. They dreamed of creating a space that would serve as a hub to attract all sorts of business, art, food, and education. It would be a melting pot for all the ingredients that make a community thrive.
Heartbeat of the Community
In the mid 2010s construction began to transform the abandoned building.
This vision came to life in 2017 as Crosstown Concourse opened once more to the public. This time, however, it served as a vibrant center for the community. Crosstown Concourse is now home to fabulous local restaurants, edgy apartments, an art gallery, a school, and offices for various non-profits. Its creative design is inspiring and uplifting, stealing your breath with its grand, yet industrial architecture. The revitalization of Crosstown Concourse is a beautiful picture of the type of transformation that is possible if one dares to think outside the box. Because of its eclectic inclusion of the crucial components of community life within its walls, it has been able to capture the heartbeat of Memphis in a way that few other physical spaces in the city can match.