Economic Development

Strategy 4.2.1

Partner with regional business leaders to create a bi-annual sustainable business conference to inform local businesses of the broader sustainability movement and connect local green business ventures.

Strategy 4.2.8

Work with the Shelby County Health Department to review and update their rules and regulations to remove any barriers that may be faced by local farmers in selling and offering of their goods and produce in local farmers markets.

Strategy 4.2.7

Develop an open, multiservice fiber network, publicly built and maintained but open to the private sector.

*Through a grant, the South Memphis neighborhood of Soulsville will receive community-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure.  Read more about it here. 

*Look here for places in Memphis and Shelby County that have free Wi-Fi.

Strategy 4.2.6

Aggressively pursue large scale redevelopment opportunities using either the existing Shelby County Land Bank or a newly created joint Memphis-Shelby County Land Bank.

*Shelby County Land Bank will market surplus city and county properties which will now make it easier for prospective buyers.  Learn more here.

Strategy 4.2.5

Amend PILOT application processes to award additional points to projects that incorporate existing vacant or underutilized buildings in lieu of new construction and that achieve specific sustainability benchmarks such as LEED for Existing Buildings.

Strategy 4.2.4

Revise policies to require that any project receiving tax abatement through the PILOT program must achieve a minimum of LEED Bronze Certified or equivalent for all new construction over 50,000 SF.

Strategy 4.2.3

Amend PILOT (Payment-in-lieu-of taxes) application processes to award additional points to projects that incorporate existing vacant or underutilized buildings and that achieve specific sustainability benchmarks such as “LEED for Existing Buildings”.

*Awardees are given additional time on their PILOTs if they practice specific “green” measures.  See pages 12-14 of the program overview. 

Strategy 4.2.2

Require applications for entitlements or incentives to quantify the economic and environmental impacts/benefits of the proposed project.