MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A proud North Memphis neighborhood is afraid they might get “wiped out for good” if officials don’t step in before an industrial park completely takes over their area.

Located just off busy North Hollywood Street, residents can still remember when their North Memphis neighborhood was a great place to live.

“Plenty of homes in the area, families raising children, community schools,” said long-time resident Janice Mondie. “It was just a very sociable community.”

Decades later, the area is showing signs of blight and abandon.

The only visible investment from the City of Memphis is coming in the form of an enormous industrial park.

“Why would you take residential property and turn it into an industrial park when you can find other locations for an industrial park?” Mondie said. “Build this community back into the thriving community that it once was.”

The MLGW North Service Center spans block after block, just steps away from where this once proud neighborhood prospered.

MLGW has already purchased 14 plots of land where houses once stood, planning to expand their lot full of old equipment and machines and further overwhelming residents.

WREG attempted to schedule interviews with MLGW multiple days this week, but they said no one was available.

WREG also spoke with city council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas, who has been in contact with the affected residents. She declined to comment for our story.

Residents in the neighborhood have been in contact with numerous elected officials, from Mayor Jim Strickland, to city and county council members but say they have received little to no help.

They hope the city can find other land for industrial purposes before this North Memphis neighborhood is forgotten.   

“Since they bought so few properties, this is an opportunity before they get started on any construction to delay this, so that they can take another look at it, to see if there’s not better decisions to be made to benefit the city and the residents as a whole,” Mondie said.