MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The Memphis City Council voted to give the area around Graceland in Whitehaven $16 million for improvements.
"The people in this district have been waiting 35 years to get redeveloped," said City Councilman Harold Collins. "This is not about Graceland; this is about the residents who have stayed many years."
Those residents include David Gross, who told abc24.com, "I'm happy, I'm excited and people in Whitehaven are excited too."
Lester Baskin, Pastor of Middle Baptist Church, added, "This is one of those things we can't afford to not support."
City Councilman Kemp Conrad was the only one who voted no. "I don't know how we run a city that has a budget book and plan that vary so greatly," he said. Conrad wanted to know why the city's cost for this project increased from $2.2 million last year to $16 million. "I think this sets a bad precedent and I will be voting no" Conrad said.
The total cost of the project is $43 million. $27 million is coming from the state of Tennessee and the rest from Memphis. Construction is set to get underway in November.
