MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After years of construction and street closures, shop owners in South Main Arts District say they are excited the city’s newest trolley stop downtown is about to open.
Jean Andrus, the owner of ‘Book Juggler’ on South Main, just south of G.E. Patterson, said MATA has been teasing them for weeks with trial runs to the new Central Station Trolley station in front of the Central Station Hotel.
She’s hoping after it opens Sunday it will bring more traffic her way.
“I just hope people see the store. Right now, everything stops at GE Patterson. So, maybe more people will come south,” Andrus said.
MATA said the new Central Station stop will extend the Main Street Trolley rail to G.E. Patterson and marks the completion of the Central Phase II Redevelopment Project, which transformed the historic railroad station.
The multiacre site now features the Central Station Hotel, Malco Powerhouse Cinema & MXT and the Memphis Farmer’s Market.
“We are excited to open this station which not only completes the Central Station transit-oriented development project but also completes the Main Street Trolley Rail Line restoration work,” said MATA Chief Executive Officer Gary Rosenfeld.
Rosenfeld said the completion of the Central Station trolley station further emphasizes the city’s commitment to creating a transit-oriented dense urban living space in the South Main Area.
MATA said funding for the Central Station trolley station was obtained through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Construction. Safety testing was completed in late 2020
“It’s been long process,” said Andrus.
Andrus is looking forward to seeing the first riders. For more on the Main Street Trolleys and times of operation click here.
