Northside Square: A celebration of legacy, leadership, and what comes next

On Friday, January 16, community members, partners, and longtime Northside alumni gathered for the ribbon cutting of Northside Square. After closing in 2016, the historic Northside High School is being reborn as a space rooted in opportunity, pride, and possibility for the Klondike neighborhood and the city of Memphis.

The celebration marked the opening of the first phase of an $ 81 million mixed-use redevelopment, the largest Black-led development in a majority-Black neighborhood in Memphis history.

As many speakers noted throughout the day, this grand opening is a recommitment to place, people, and the belief that meaningful development must honor legacy while building for the future.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Paul Morris, Chair of the Board of The Works, followed by a prayer led by Reverend Colley Cooper of Northside Renaissance. Speakers throughout the program reflected on the long journey that brought Northside Square to this moment and the collective effort required to see it through.

Steve Barlow, Vice President and General Counsel of The Works, spoke to the significance of the occasion, while Executive Director of the Klondike Smokey City Community Development Corporation Quincey Morris shared the broader vision for neighborhood revitalization rooted in community leadership.

One of the most powerful moments of the program came during the Northside Class Roll Call and Hall of Fame recognition, led by Joyce Cox, a proud alum of the Northside High School Class of 1979. Alumni filled the space, many wearing class sweatshirts and reunion gear, underscoring that Northside Square is a living extension of a shared legacy.

The ceremony was emceed by Roshun Austin, President and CEO of The Works and Northside Renaissance, alongside Quincy Jones, Director of Special Programs and project lead for Northside Renaissance. Their partnership, and Jones’ work with alumni, ensures that the stories and spirit of Northside High School will remain central to the space moving forward.

Northside Square spans 270,000 square feet and will include 42 units of affordable housing, alongside space for workforce development, education, healthcare, arts programming, offices, retail, and community gatherings. Tenants include organizations such as Moore Tech, Literacy Mid-South, Code Crew, Collective Blueprint, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, bringing opportunity directly into the neighborhood.

Residential move-ins are expected to begin this spring, with commercial tenants following over the summer. While construction is still ongoing, the opening of common areas signals a turning point after years of planning, partnership, and dedication.

The project was developed by ComCap Partners, with Grinder, Taber & Grinder (GTG) serving as general contractor and LRK, in partnership with Aaron Patrick Architects, leading the design. More than $40 million was paid to minority contractors, with 40% participation by minority-owned businesses.

Elected officials and financial partners joined the celebration, including Memphis Mayor Paul Young, U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen, and representatives from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, First Horizon, BlueHub, Hope Enterprise, Pathway Lending, Rose Urban Green Fund, US Bank CDE, and others who helped make the project possible.

Mayor Young reflected on Northside Square as a bold and unconventional investment – one that may not fit traditional development models, but speaks directly to Memphis’s values. He emphasized that bringing the project to life required partners willing to invest patiently and lead with purpose, placing community impact above short-term returns.

That spirit echoed throughout the day. Northside Square represents the restoration of connection, pride, and momentum in a neighborhood that has long deserved sustained investment.

Northside Square is only one piece of a broader effort to strengthen the Klondike community, but it is a powerful anchor. As two ribbons were cut, one for the commercial space and one for the residential, it was clear that this project represents both an ending and a new beginning.

A former school now stands ready to once again shape lives – this time as a hub for learning, living, healing, and gathering. And as Northside Square continues to develop throughout the year, its impact will carry forward a legacy that belongs to the Klondike community.