First Community Meeting of 2010!

There was an outstanding turnout for the first Uptown Community Meeting of 2010!

We met at Alcenia’s Restaurant and the place was packed.  The staff at Alcenia’s was outstanding and served up some of the best southern food you’ll find anywhere.  Alcenia’s is located at 317 N. Main St. on the southern edge of Uptown.  If you’ve never stopped in, you really need to put Alcenia’s on your list of places to try.  You won’t be disappointed.

At the meeting we heard from:

• John Vines – President of the Memphis Rotary Club – Mr. Vines discussed the partnership Uptown has formed with the Rotary Club and some of the great projects we have worked on together.  You can learn more about the Memphis Rotary Club HERE.
• Richard Rieves – Pastor of (the newly formed) Downtown Presbyterian Church – Mr. Rieves talked a little about the goals and mission of this new church and their desire to be connected to the community!  You can learn more about Downtown Presbyterian Church HERE.
• Michael Whaley – Lead Founder of Memphis College Prep Elementary School (opening in Uptown in the fall of 2010) – Mr. Whaley gave an overview of the new charter school and a schedule of upcoming events.  You can learn more about Memphis College Prep Elementary HERE.
• Alex Mobley - Uptown Partnership – Ms. Mobley gave an update on some of the commercial development progress, noting that plans are still in the works for the retail center including a bank, pharmacy, restaurant, and eventually a grocery store.  Each of these developments are waiting for land use issues to be resolved prior any further progress.

The remainder of the meeting was a discussion on ways to get involved in Uptown for 2010.  We are currently in the process of forming four “Community Teams”.  Each of these teams will help coordinate, organize, and promote a specific part of life in Uptown.

We are recruiting Uptown residents to join one (or more) of the following teams:

• Uptown Social Team: will be involved in planning, coordinating, and promoting social events in Uptown
• Uptown Service Team: will be involved in organizing, participating in, and promoting service projects in Uptown
• Uptown Safety Team: will meet & communicate regularly to discuss issues related to safety in Uptown
• Uptown Newsletter Team: will be involved in the production and publication of the Uptown Newsletter - On the Front Porch

The community meeting provided us with several willing Uptown residents, but we still need more Uptowners to join one of these “Community Teams”.  If you’re interested in joining, just click HERE to fill out this quick online form.

Special thanks go out to: Alcenia’s Restaurant, Tanja Mitchell and Alex Mobley, and all of the Uptown residents who came out!