City of Memphis to build infrastructure as part of Pinch District revitalization
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd on Thursday announced that the state of Tennessee, along with the city of Memphis, will invest in public infrastructure surrounding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
The state will invest $12 million in FastTrack funding to improve the public infrastructure surrounding the St. Jude campus in downtown Memphis, which will complement the research institution’s expansion efforts announced in 2015, and will eventually lead to the creation of 1,800 new jobs in Shelby County.
“St. Jude is known around the world for its research and treatment of catastrophic childhood diseases and is an anchor institution in our state and we are proud it calls Tennessee its home,” Haslam said. “It means a great deal to be able to assist this world-renowned facility by supporting public infrastructure needs that will help St. Jude not only create new jobs for Tennessee, but increase its capabilities to conduct life-saving treatment and research.”
The city of Memphis also will be investing $25 million in public infrastructure projects in addition to the state’s investment. The infrastructure investments will benefit not only St. Jude, but all of the surrounding areas.
“St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has made an immeasurable impact in Memphis, the state of Tennessee, and the world with its life saving research and services. We are excited to assist this great institution by investing in the public infrastructure surrounding its campus,” Boyd said. “With this investment in Memphis’ urban core, along with the investment by the city of Memphis, St. Jude will continue to flourish in our state. I thank St. Jude for creating 1,800 jobs and for continuing to enhance our state and our workforce.”
“We are truly grateful that the State and City have come together with ALSAC and St. Jude to improve the areas surrounding our campus,” Rick Shadyac, CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, said. “We are confident this partnership will enable us to help more patients as part of St. Jude’s strategic plan, while also creating a more inviting environment for our employees, patients and guests. We also greatly appreciate the Governor’s consideration of a multi-year partnership that will benefit our mission and the communities of Memphis and Shelby County as well as the state of Tennessee.”
“As St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital expands its clinical care and research programs as part of a six-year strategic plan to fulfill our mission of finding cures and saving children, it is gratifying to see that the state of Tennessee, the city of Memphis and Shelby County mobilized behind our efforts,” James R. Downing, M.D., president and chief executive officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, said. “Our plan focuses on treating even more patients on our campus and bringing the best minds in science and medicine to St. Jude to accelerate progress against catastrophic pediatric diseases. We deeply appreciate the commitments being made as part of this partnership to support our work.”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading how the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
St. Jude treats patients from all 50 states and around the world. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
“St. Jude is an indispensable member of our Memphis community. I am grateful for the teamwork at the state and local level that helped make this announcement possible,” Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris said. “This investment means that even more families in critical need will benefit from the care and treatment of this great institution. We are proud that St. Jude calls West Tennessee home.”
“This will be a significant corporate expansion for Shelby County. It will create needed jobs and improve the Uptown neighborhood near downtown. Most importantly, it will enable the hospital and its charitable services to help more children who’ll travel to our community from around the world for needed treatment,” Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr. said.
“The city of Memphis’ investment in public infrastructure will have a great ripple effect in building our future — to enable St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to further meet its life-saving mission, to spur investment in the Pinch District, and to improve an important gateway to our city. It’s exactly what we seek to do in city government — build up the foundations so that our city’s momentum will multiply,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
“The investment St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is making in Memphis will not only create more great jobs for our community but will transform downtown Memphis. We are so thankful to have a world-class organization like St. Jude in Memphis,” Greater Memphis Chamber President and CEO Phil Trenary said.
Memphis and Shelby County are represented by Sen. Mark Norris (R – Collierville), Sen. Brian Kelsey (R – Germantown), Sen. Reginald Tate (D – Memphis), Sen. Lee Harris (D – Memphis), Sen. Sara Kyle (D – Memphis), Rep. Jim Coley (R – Bartlett), Rep. Ron Lollar (R – Bartlett), Rep. Mark Lovell (R – Eads), Rep. Mark White (R – Memphis), Rep. Raumesh Akbari (D – Memphis), Rep. Karen Camper (D – Memphis), Rep. Barbara Cooper (D – Memphis), Rep. John DeBerry (D – Memphis), Rep. G.A. Hardaway (D – Memphis), Rep. Larry Miller (D – Memphis), Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D – Memphis), Rep. Joe Towns (D – Memphis), Rep. Johnnie Turner (D – Memphis) and Rep. Dwayne Thompson (D – Cordova) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Team Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Tennessee is the only three-time winner of “State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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