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September was about one mission: building a Memphis where people can find opportunity, neighborhoods can thrive, and growth works for the people who live here.
That mission connects everything we are doing.
We are preparing young people for the future by connecting them to colleges, trade schools, employers, and creative opportunities. We are strengthening neighborhoods by investing in streets, drainage, sewer systems, and the removal of dangerous, abandoned structures. We are restoring the Downtown trolleys because a growing city needs reliable connections between residents, workers, businesses, and visitors. And we are setting clear standards for new investment so Memphis can grow without losing sight of the people and neighborhoods that make this city home.
This is not a collection of separate projects. It is the work of building a stronger Memphis: expanding opportunity, taking care of the basics, and preparing responsibly for what comes next.
Opening doors for Memphis young people
More than 4,000 students attended our College and Career Fair, meeting with representatives from 200 colleges, trade schools, and companies across the region.
Our ultimate goal is to connect 5,000 young adults to career pathways by 2030 through the NextUp 901 program. Reaching that goal will require strong partnerships among our schools, employers, higher education institutions, and city government. It will also require making sure students can see a future for themselves here in Memphis.
We also saw an important investment in youth creativity. The Tay Keith Legacy Foundation made a donation in support of the music production program at our CLOUD901 teen space at the Ben Hooks Library, now named in honor of Memphis-born, Grammy-nominated super producer Tay Keith. Ensuring young people have the tools, instruction, and space to develop their talents and carry that legacy forward.
Initiatives like all of these are part of our broader commitment to making sure every young person has a pathway to opportunity.
Taking care of our neighborhoods
In September, Public Works filled 1,400 potholes, paved more than four miles of streets, serviced 225 drainage inlets, and completed major sewer improvements. Our teams also demolished 100 derelict structures across the city.
This is core work of city government, and it is important. Residents depend on safe streets, functioning drainage, reliable infrastructure, and neighborhoods that are not defined by abandoned and dangerous structures.
Removing a derelict building does not solve every challenge on a block, but it creates room for progress. It can make a neighborhood safer, open the door to new investment, and help return vacant property to productive use. We will continue pairing this work with broader efforts to improve housing, infrastructure, and neighborhood conditions across Memphis.
Bringing back the Downtown trolley
Our Downtown trolleys have been out of service for too long. We now have a target date for their return: December 15.
Restoring trolley service is part of making Downtown a stronger connection point for the entire city. Reliable transportation helps connect residents, workers, businesses, visitors, and attractions. It supports a Downtown that is easier to access, more active, and better positioned for future investment.
There is still work to complete before service resumes, and we will continue providing updates as we move toward that date.
Planning for responsible growth
The choices we make today will determine whether future growth strengthens Memphis or leaves residents to absorb the costs.
Data centers could bring investment and economic opportunity, but development must be guided by clear standards that protect residents, infrastructure, and the long-term interests of our city.
That is why I support creating strong guardrails for data center development. Memphis needs a framework grounded in facts, responsive to community priorities and the evolving technology, and clear enough to give businesses direction on what it takes to operate here.
Attracting investment and protecting quality of life are not competing goals. We can pursue growth while making sure that growth creates opportunity, strengthens neighborhoods, and serves the people who call Memphis home.
That conversation continues next week before City Council. We will approach it with the same mission that guides our work across Memphis: open doors for our young people, take care of our neighborhoods, and prepare our city for responsible growth.
September showed what that mission looks like in practice.
We are building a Memphis where opportunity is more accessible, neighborhoods are stronger, and the future is shaped with purpose.
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