PARK HISTORY

Memphis was founded as a river city. Like many American cities, it turned its back on the then-industrial waterfront. Tom Lee Park is where Memphis returns to the river.

Tom Lee Park was expanded to its current size by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1991.

The construction of a dike wall expanded the small, unremarkable patch of grass at the foot of Beale Street to the 31-acres we know today. For years, the park sat mostly empty with few trees, little shade and no amenities.

In 2O17, Mayor Strickland and the City of Memphis created a task force to reinvigorate the riverfront.

That task force commissioned Studio Gang to develop a concept for the transformation of six miles of mostly underused river parks into a connected network of beautiful, natural public spaces that would reconnect Memphians with their river. More than 4,000 Memphians were engaged in the production of the Memphis Riverfront Concept.

Work to execute the Concept started quickly with the reinvention of two former-Confederate parks, now River Garden and Fourth Bluff Park, completed in 2O18 and 2O19. The River Line—a five-mile walking and biking trail that connects all river parks—opened in 2O18. The most visible and accessible riverfront park in Memphis—Tom Lee Park—was next.

The design process for Tom Lee Park began in 2019 and was informed by stakeholders including local teens embedded in the design process through the Youth Design Leadership program. The final design for the park was unveiled in March 2O2O. Construction on the $61 million project began in December of 2020 with the park opening to the public on Labor Day Weekend, September 2O23.

Watch the design presentation