Bass Pro and Beyond: Hope for civic transformation with Big Three city projects (Memphis: price, estimated)

[Johnny Ryall]

You can't owe up to the fact that the numbers you were pressing are completely false. You didn't include children 3 & under (free), comps, discounts, package deals, children 3 & up, the fact that some tickets are multiple day passes to certain areas of Dollywood and multiple counts of the same people are probaly common place. You simply took full adult admission and multiplied it by some type of raw ticker number, probably a daily average, and said "there it is". Meanwhile your elementary equation has holes big enough to fly a 747 thru. Also, you keep trying to suggest that I said Beale Street (2 city blocks) has more patronage than a 1000 sq mile national park. Ridiculous! Maybe Beale Street out performs categorically, maybe Dollywood is split up categorically between amusements, water park & private independant shops. Beale Street is owned by one entity & also managed by one entity. That I don't know, but at least I sourced my info and provided hard/real numbers instead of intentionally misleading.

[Cosmicstargoat]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ryall

You can't owe up to the fact that the numbers you were pressing are completely false. You didn't include children 3 & under (free), comps, discounts, package deals, children 3 & up, the fact that some tickets are multiple day passes to certain areas of Dollywood and multiple counts of the same people are probaly common place. You simply took full adult admission and multiplied it by some type of raw ticker number, probably a daily average, and said "there it is". Meanwhile your elementary equation has holes big enough to fly a 747 thru. Also, you keep trying to suggest that I said Beale Street (2 city blocks) has more patronage than a 1000 sq mile national park. Ridiculous! Maybe Beale Street out performs categorically, maybe Dollywood is split up categorically between amusements, water park & private independant shops. Beale Street is owned by one entity & also managed by one entity. That I don't know, but at least I sourced my info and provided hard/real numbers instead of intentionally misleading.

Deleted: personal attack if you believe that Beale St. outgrosses Dollywood and/or out peoples The Great Smokey Mt. National Park. You have yet to address Graceland, Memphis's #1 tourist attraction. How can Graceland be #1 in Memphis and Beale St. be #1 in Tennessee? In short, you are an Idiot.

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by Cosmicstargoat

Deleted: personal attack if you believe that Beale St. outgrosses Dollywood and/or out peoples The Great Smokey Mt. National Park. You have yet to address Graceland, Memphis's #1 tourist attraction. How can Graceland be #1 in Memphis and Beale St. be #1 in Tennessee? In short, you are an Idiot.

Yes, it would be very hard to say with certainty if Beale St is the #1 attraction.

There are no tickets and the numbers usually used to make this claim are sales at a block of restaurants/clubs which may be frequented by the same person in one night and would also be heavily skewed by local visitors.

It's also odd because no other area in the state uses this formula to track tourists. If a block of businesses on the strip in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge did this or even 2nd Ave in Nashville then it would be useful.

[Johnny Ryall]

Originally Posted by Cosmicstargoat

Deleted: personal attack if you believe that Beale St. outgrosses Dollywood and/or out peoples The Great Smokey Mt. National Park. You have yet to address Graceland, Memphis's #1 tourist attraction. How can Graceland be #1 in Memphis and Beale St. be #1 in Tennessee? In short, you are an Idiot.

What does Graceland average anually? Seems I've heard 1 million+ (although, historically it is rumored to be the second most visited address in the U.S. It has no "honeymoon" period like most major attractions). Beale Street has 300,000+ in ONE WEEKEND in May. Not to mention, other Memphis In May functions, slammed packed thru spring & summer weekends, a pretty steady flow year round, etc. You might consider it. The pic below is only a fraction of the crowds seen. Plus, there is no cover to get into the district. So, nobody is really counting patronage.

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ryall

What does Graceland average anually? Seems I've heard 1 million+ (although, historically it is rumored to be the second most visited address in the U.S. It has no "honeymoon" period like most major attractions). Beale Street has 300,000+ in ONE WEEKEND in May. Not to mention, other Memphis In May functions, slammed packed thru spring & summer weekends, etc. You might consider it.

I'm not saying that it's not a big draw but there isn't a lot of evidence to support that it is the #1 most visited place in Tennessee.

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ryall

RKG Associates estimated a return of nearly $250,000,000.00 in sales tax revenues to the city & county in 15 years. Also, Memphis is not using school and law enforcement funding for this project. The funding comes from TDZ funds and federal stimulus recovery bonds that were made for projects just like this.

I didn't suggest that the funds were being taken from schools and law enforcement. However, good schools and low crime are what make cities attractive communities with lasting appeal. KCMO has funded its downtown projects much the same way as is Memphis on these projects while ignoring the terrible school district and higher crime rates for the long term. Urban flight continues and the city fails to attract the larger businesses and conventions because of the lack of livibility of the urban core.

It is precisely the crime reputation that has kept me from stopping in Memphis as a tourist. I'd love to visit Gracelend or visit for a BBQ tour to see if it really is better than what we have in KC (it cannot be ) however the unsafe reputation keeps me away.

[tntim]

According to Performa’s own web site, they calls Beale Street “one of Tennessee’s largest tourist attractions”. They do not claim to be the number one tourist attraction in the state.
Performa Entertainment Real Estate - Beale Street, Memphis, TN Blues & Rock N' Roll

[thenuegeye]

Yeah, but Beale St. sucks though.

[Johnny Ryall]

Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal

I didn't suggest that the funds were being taken from schools and law enforcement. However, good schools and low crime are what make cities attractive communities with lasting appeal. KCMO has funded its downtown projects much the same way as is Memphis on these projects while ignoring the terrible school district and higher crime rates for the long term. Urban flight continues and the city fails to attract the larger businesses and conventions because of the lack of livibility of the urban core.

It is precisely the crime reputation that has kept me from stopping in Memphis as a tourist. I'd love to visit Gracelend or visit for a BBQ tour to see if it really is better than what we have in KC (it cannot be ) however the unsafe reputation keeps me away.

Ok. While millions poor thru to visit you can hide in your hole with your KC Masterpiece. I'm not complaining. I once stayed most of a summer in KC and liked it alot. Not every city can be an explosive growth metro at once. Crime in Memphis is going down every year and some parts of the city are a lot safer than they used to be. You're cheating yourself if you don't visit. All Americans should make the trek at least once and pay their respects to the King, taste the most delicious variations of BBQ (not just a sweet wet sauce ) and walk Beale. The City of Memphis is beginning beautification of the Graceland area and CKx has a $250,000,000.00 redevelopment in the planning stages.

[Johnny Ryall]

Originally Posted by tntim

According to Performa’s own web site, they calls Beale Street “one of Tennessee’s largest tourist attractions”. They do not claim to be the number one tourist attraction in the state.
Performa Entertainment Real Estate - Beale Street, Memphis, TN Blues & Rock N' Roll

I'm sure it is one of TN largest draws, but as far as I can see there is no official record of patronage and no cover to get into the district. If it can have 300,000 come thru in one weekend, I think it might compete with Dollywood's annual 2,300,000. At least I didn't try to make something up and lie about it.