From Dumpsite to Downtown Destination: The Transformation of the New Tom Lee Park
A Park with Perspective
It’s the perfect location, really…the sprawling 30 acres of shore that sets idyllically beside the Mighty Mississippi. The landscape is nice and flat for biking or walking. The views to the West are of the river and historic bridges, the views to the East are of the bluff with its impressive homes and the city skyline. And the park itself is named after a profoundly generous local hero who saved dozens of lives by risking his own. Tom Lee Park is pure Memphis.
The History of Tom Lee
The six miles of shoreline right beside the Mississippi has not always been a remarkable feature of Memphis. In fact, at one point it was the location of the city dump. But in 1936, the swath of land was officially named by the city as “Astor Park”. When local legend Tom Lee died in 1952, Mayor Boss Crump renamed the park after the local hero and set up a obelisk in his honor. Back in 1932, Lee had witnessed a boat begin to sink on the Mississippi. Armed with only his own small fishing boat and not even knowing how to swim himself, Lee gathered his courage and set out to save as many of the boat’s passengers as he could with trip after trip from to the wreckage. Lee single-handedly saved the lives of 32 people that day. He was hailed as a city hero and though a community swimming pool had been named after him, Crump thought a grander gesture should be made and Tom Lee Park was born.
But the park wasn’t a well used area of the city. Decades of the Beale Street Music Festival and Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Sunset Symphony brought guests to the area, but daily use was limited to downtown dwellers and throughout the 80s and 90s, there weren’t even multitudes of those.
In 2017, the city hired Studio Gang, a national architectural firm, to step in and create a new iteration of Tom Lee Park. Over the last 6 years, the park has been in transition…hard-landscaping, structural features, gardens, and paths being sown and built throughout the area. The result is a stunning new space that opens up the city to an entirely new downtown environment.
Tom Lee Park Today
That little and ill-used acreage at the base of the bluffs is totally unrecognizable as of the 2023 Labor Day opening of the new Tom Lee. There are now miles of winding pathways to walk or bike through tall grasses and overhanging trees, playgrounds galore, and multiple basketball courts beneath a gorgeous structural canopy. Ecological paths point out unique features of the river. The Fitness Zone allows free access to stretching and HIIT equipment from Campbell’s Clinic. And several playgrounds feature thrilling slides, great swings, climbing nets and obstacle courses for kids of all ages.
The Park is dotted with snack and coffee kiosks to keep your family fueled during their visits and there’s even a putting green for folks needing to work on their short game. The updated Tom Lee is the perfect spot for a family outing or a group meetup, and with it’s unmatched views of the city and river, it seems to be the crown jewel Memphis has needed for a long time. Here’s to beautifying what we already have, remembering our heroes, and creating space for everyone to live their best lives in our city. Here’s to the new Tom Lee Park.
