Why a new mayor could be key for Memphis' plans at FedExForum, Liberty Stadium | Giannotto

The Mayor-elect of Memphis was asked last month to name his Memphis heroes, and Paul Young immediately mentioned his parents. They are well-known pastors in the community who helped start the Memphis Healing Center and helped push Young to eventually dream of leading the city in which they raised him.

But then, once Young paid tribute to them, he named three local sports figures: “Penny Hardaway, Ja Morant and Z-Bo.”

“They give our community inspiration,” Young told WMC Action News 5. “They’re something we rally around, that we galvanize around, and they’ve given us so many moments. Looking forward to seeing more of those moments through the Tigers and the Grizzlies.”

The next mayor of Memphis appears to be a big local sports fan like many of his predecessors. Perhaps it's a prerequisite to being elected in this city. But early indications are Young's understanding of the sports scene bodes well for securing the future of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the ongoing negotiations concerning renovations to FedExForum and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

In an ideal world, a world in which civic negotiations were simple and straightforward, Young would not have to worry about any of this.

All $350 million of that state money outgoing mayor Jim Strickland successfully lobbied for last year would be allocated. Renovations to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium would begin in January. FedExForum renovations would begin following the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBA season. The Grizzlies would have signed a new long-term lease to remain in Memphis.

But in the real world, the one that elected Young, the city and the Grizzlies haven't come to an agreement for how to fund renovations at FedExForum. The University of Memphis, meanwhile, is getting closer and closer to a deadline at the end of the month that it says would delay the start of construction (and therefore increase construction costs) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium if a plan for that state money is not ready to be presented to the city council.

The hope is, over the next few months, Strickland can close the deal he started by successfully lobbying for an unprecedented amount of money from the state legislature. If the Grizzlies were to sign a new long term lease at FedExForum and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium got the renovations it so badly needs, Strickland could leave office with a legacy achievement.

The Commercial Appeal reported last month about a proposal from August that would have provided about $494 million in either state money or dedicated tax streams for FedExForum renovations and $220 million for Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. But the estimated cost of what the Grizzlies want to do at FedExForum is $550 million, according to the proposal, and the franchise objected to about $50 million worth of the proposed taxes that would directly impact ticket buyers for events at the arena.

The Strickland administration and the Grizzlies have continued to negotiate since then. But Memphis was allocated this money by the state last April and there’s nothing related to it on the agenda for this week’s city council meeting. Each passing day makes it more likely this eventually becomes Young’s problem to solve.

The part left unsaid in recent weeks is that the university’s urgency extended beyond just stretching the state’s money as far as it can go. It’s unlikely whoever won this mayoral election was going to be as supportive of Memphis football’s cause as Strickland. He's an alum and season-ticket holder.

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But there will be something of a reset to negotiations should they still be ongoing when Young assumes office. If there is frustration mounting – from the city, the Grizzlies, or both – having a new face across the table should help.

Young noted throughout the campaign he was “the only candidate that has been trained as a city planner.” He was the only one who had actually worked for the city of Memphis government before when he served as director of housing and community development. The Grizzlies are also familiar with Young, currently the President and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission.

When asked about the stadium money during a mayoral forum put on by The Commercial Appeal, Action News 5 and The League of Women Voters of Memphis-Shelby County last month, Young voiced support for both projects.

"Now we have to figure out the rest of the capital stack," he said. "What other sources can we use? Seat taxes and things of that nature that we can figure out to make sure that we get both of these projects done. We know that these institutions mean a lot to our community. They are a source of pride and joy for our city, so we want to make sure they are here long term."

Sports were also the source of his first public appearance since election night, too. There was Young, sitting in the front row with his family at FedExForum Saturday afternoon as the Grizzlies held an open practice.

They then posed for a photo with Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins in the middle of the court, an image that was unintentionally symbolic since Young is about to be placed right in the middle of the most significant sports-related negotiations Memphis has gone through in years.

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on X: @mgiannotto

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis mayor could mean for FedExForum, Liberty Stadium renovations