Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/281176
According to the suburban model, Marohn said, Memphis did everything right. The city ran a highway through its center, knocking down buildings to do so. Memphis leaders got rid of streetcars. They built a beltway and then another one, extending sewer and water services each time. But the ultimate symbol of the city's mis- guided thinking was Pyramid Arena, Marohn pointed out. In the late '80s, city leaders became convinced that Memphis needed an NBA team to drive economic development, so they built a 20,000-seat arena on the banks of the Mississippi. But by the time the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies decided to relocate to Memphis, in 2001, the arena was already 10 years old. The team played in the Pyramid for three seasons before a new arena was con- structed right down the road. The Pyramid is now being turned into a Bass Pro Shop, Marohn told the audience, to amazed guffaws. But Memphis isn't entirely a grim tale. Marohn discussed several recent initiatives the city has undertaken to rethink its growth manage- ment, and he hypothesized that the cities that will thrive in the future will be those that are best able to transform themselves. Asked for his thoughts on where Sarasota stands today, Marohn complimented down- town but also called for the city to build incrementally. Not every new property has to be a skyscraper, he emphasized. Make it easier for smaller projects to fill in the gaps in the urban core, he urged. "If every space is valued as if it's going to be a 22-story tower," he said, "instead of creating growth opportu- nities, it wipes them out." % Someone you know needs Planned Parenthood • Lifesaving cancer screenings • Parent & teen education • Annual GYN exams • Birth control Planned Parenthood Of Southwest And Central Florida • Sarasota 941-953-4060 • MyPlannedParenthood.org Search for text in stories by clicking the icon in the menubar and entering a search term. Search the current edition or all editions. QUICK TIP Search Only The Issue You Are Viewing Search All Issues Your search term here Sarasota News Leader March 21, 2014 Page 54