Latest news with #MemphisAirport
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memphis International Airport begins demolition of Concourse A: What's next for site?
The Memphis International Airport is going through a massive renovation, which includes tearing down one of its terminals to make way for other uses. Demolition of the airport's Concourse A building — which was originally constructed in 1974 — began on July 8 with a bulldozer plowing through the upper corner of the building and gradually moving across the facility. Glen Thomas is the Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority communications director. Thomas said Concourse A hasn't been used since 2022 when the airport opened the revamped $245 million Concourse B and moved all airport operations in that wing. Here is a closer look at what is planned at the airport. Thomas said the former Concourse A site will first be used for storing construction materials needed for the modernized terminal project and the replacement of the outer drive. The outer drive — which airport officials say will take two years to complete — will result in a seismically enhanced and expanded departures-level drive. This phase of the project is needed to enable the terminal building expansion. The remodeled building will move outward into the existing inner-curb lane. MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: 10 years. 1.9 million passengers. What's next for Allegiant Air at Memphis airport? The former Concourse A site will also clear the way for a new 63,500-square-foot Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCA) administration building that will house about 150 employees including those in finance, development, terminal operations, information technology, airport police staff and maintenance, according to Thomas. The ground floor of the new administration building will also contain a new consolidated baggage inspection system (CBIS), which is touted to allow for faster inspection and transport of checked bags from the ticketing lobby until they are loaded onto the aircraft. The Concourse A demolition is expected to be completed in late 2025 or early 2026. Thomas said the fate of Concourse C is still to be determined. 'We are going to need to utilize some of that area, while we are working on the B terminal,' he said. 'It's still an area where we have a security checkpoint if needed, and it also could be the potential location of the consolidated rental car area should we move in that direction.' FLIGHTS FROM MEMPHIS: What are Memphis airport's top unserved destinations? 10 cities without nonstop flights — yet Thomas noted that so far there hasn't been any passenger impact from the terminal construction. However, he said that will change once the airport moves rideshare (Uber and Lyft) down to the arrivals area of the terminal. 'That is going to create a situation where people are going to have to change their habits and they're going to be getting their rides downstairs, instead of up on the ticketing area," Thomas said. "Also, as we begin to work on that outer drive, of course, that is going to have a lot of impact. Two years from now, once we get inside the terminal that will be most significant (impact). But later this year, there will be greater impact and we'll definitely be communicating a lot about that.' The airport's modernization project is estimated to cost roughly $700 million, which is the largest capital project in Memphis International's history. The project is likely to increase as design and construction details are finalized. The terminal modernization is a venture between three construction companies: Turner Construction, Chris Woods Construction and Ardmore Roderick. Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at or 901-293-1610. To keep up with the latest news from the Shelby County suburbs, sign up here for our Suburban Pulse weekly newsletter. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why is Memphis International Airport demolishing Concourse A?
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Win for the city': Central High celebrates jazz festival triumph
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 'We Are the Champions' could be the next song Central High School's jazz band plays as it beat out hundreds of other bands from around the world at a competition in New York City. The band took first place in the Ellington High School Jazz Competition and Festival in the global competition over the weekend. WREG was there as they received a hero's welcome at the airport and told us about the hard work it took to make their dreams a reality. Memphis, known for its homegrown musical talent, was on full display Monday as the jazz stars of the Central High School band received the royal treatment stepping off the escalator at the Memphis Airport. They were welcomed with lots of hugs and cheers from some of their biggest fans. Dr. Ollie Liddell is the band's director. 'We're the best high school jazz band in the world this year, cheers,' Dr. Liddell said. 'Oh, this is a win for the city.' Memphis HS takes first place in global jazz band competition Less than 24 hours ago, the band was dressed to the nines, performing in New York City, where they took first place in the Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. They beat out hundreds of schools from around the world. Students called the experience a dream come true. 'We've been looking forward to it for a long time and it finally happened,' said trombone player Marquese Cobb. When asked about how much hard work went into this, Dr. Liddell said there were a lot of long nights preparing for the festival. 'Oh my gosh, listen, long nights, just practices, the kids practicing, extra practices,' Dr. Liddell said. 'I'm up late just listening to recordings and analyzing recordings, rehearsals, making notes.' 'So much sweat and tears and love and pain, just with everything, it's just been such a great time,' drummer Samuel Robbs said. 'We really just had to act like every single day was the finals of Essential Ellington, put that much passion into it and have that much love for each other,' said saxophone player Jackson Hankins. Bartlett's Union Depot development to get even bigger 'Going through rain, sleet and snow, literally,' said trumpet player Kingston Granberry. 'Like when it was snowing outside, we were going to Ms. Tori's daycare, working with Ron Carter, late nights at the school.' Their efforts paid off as they not only made their school proud, but their families too. 'This is a musical city, this is what we do,' Dr. Liddell said. 'We brought the soul of Memphis and we put it on display for the world to see and you see what happened.' The Sant Andreu Jazz Band from Barcelona, Spain took second place and the Osceola County School for the Arts from Kissimmee, Florida took third place in the competition. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge Sugarmon pushes back against Sen. Taylor's juvenile detention center bill
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There's pushback Monday on a bill that would move juvenile hearings into the Youth Justice and Education Center where juveniles are detained. Republican State Senator Brent Taylor who authored the bill said that the move will save taxpayers money from having to transport detainees downtown for hearings. However, Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon said it would create problems. Not far from the Memphis Airport, there's a new detention facility for young offenders in Shelby County. 'Inside that detention facility is a courtroom and unfortunately, that courtroom is as closed as a Chick-fil-A on Sunday,' Taylor said. ' So, what my bill will do will require the juvenile judge to come to the juvenile detention facility and have those hearings at the detention facility.' But, Judge Tarik Sugarmon said hearings are happening in the courtroom. Mississippi governor poised to sign income tax elimination; Hernando ready for impact According to him, since April of 2024, more than 3,100 cases have been heard at the Youth Justice and Education Center. Judge Sugarmon said the courtroom at the facility was only designed to handle certain types of cases. 'It was not designed for delinquency cases,' Sugarmon said. 'It was not designed for transfer hearings. It was not designed for any purpose other than to handle detention cases.' Problems started back in the Spring of 2024 after an inspection of the juvenile court building at 616 Adams led to the discovery of mold and asbestos. 'It's one hurdle we face after another,' Sugarmon said. Judge Sugarmon said 616 Adams can handle 110 docket cases a week in comparison to 32 at the detention facility. He added that he is working out the deal with Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris when it comes to transporting young people the 14 miles to the courtrooms closer to downtown. Juvenile charged with reckless homicide in TN shooting 'We're looking to get back into 616, what are we doing about that? The mayor and I of the county are working on an MOU that will alleviate the Sheriff's maintenance of this facility sometime this fall,' Sugarmon said. 'We are close to coming up with an MOU and at that point, Shelby County Corrections will take over the management of this building.' He said taxpayers' money isn't being wasted but cases need to be held in an expedited manner. 'These youth cost money to detain here but it also is a harm to these kids. It's harder to rehabilitate a child the longer they stay detained. The statistics and research shows that,' Sugarmon said. 'But we don't need an impediment to our ability to handle these cases in an expedited manner, not only for the youth that are detained here but also for the victims who deserve to have some closure to their cases.' Senator Taylor's bill only applies to Shelby County. It's expected to be heard again by lawmakers this week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
