Memphis Showed the Council Drone Video of Six Park Projects Wrapping Up. It Did Not Give a Dollar Figure for Any of Them.

MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL

The presentation was not on the committee agenda. The Memphis Parks director asked for a few minutes at the end of another item and walked members through construction at Frayser, Glenview, Pine Hill, Gooch, Westwood and South Memphis, described as the wrap-up of the city's Accelerate Memphis money and some capital improvement dollars.

MEMPHIS, August 4, 2026 - The Memphis Parks director showed the City Council's Parks and Environment Committee video of six park construction projects on August 4, describing them as the wrap-up of the city's Accelerate Memphis dollars and some of its capital improvement dollars.

No cost was stated for any of the six. No total was stated for the program.

The presentation was not a listed item. The committee's published agenda carried two items, an update on Overton Park drainage and an update on the Bellevue Tennis Center. As the second item closed, the director asked the chairman whether there was time to show a video of some construction projects. The chairman said to go ahead.

The six projects

Frayser Park, adjacent to the Ed Rice Community Center.

Glenview Pavilion, where the director said 16 parking spaces have been added as part of the project, along with a walkway, ADA-compliant benches and tables.

Pine Hill Park, described as one of the larger playgrounds under construction, with poured-in-place safety surfacing, slides, landscaping improvements and parking improvements adjacent to the Pine Hill golf course. The director said the course had a record number of rounds over the past year and a record July, and credited Councilman Edmund H. Ford Sr. for his work on that project.

Gooch Park Pavilion, a project the director said the department worked on with the community, with ADA accessibility improvements. He acknowledged the work of a community leader who has since died.

Westwood Pool, where the director said footage was a couple of weeks old, cleaning had continued since, and inspections were set for the day of the meeting. He said the department hopes to hit substantial completion and will work alongside Councilman Ford on a grand opening celebration.

A pavilion in South Memphis on Alcy, under construction adjacent to an existing playground, which the director said will provide more space for gathering and play.

He told members the footage was taken over the preceding few weeks and that there has been more progress since, and that as the projects wrap up the department will produce a condensed timeline showing the final product. Some of the aerial footage was shot by drone.

Committee members responded favorably. Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington said it looks really great. The chairman told Councilman Ford the projects look good in his district and thanked him.

What the record does not contain

Accelerate Memphis is a capital program, and the director described this as its wrap-up. A wrap-up is the point at which a program's spending can be totaled.

The record of this meeting contains no total. It contains no per-project cost, no contractor, no original budget against final spend, and no completion date for any of the six except the same-day inspection at Westwood Pool. It also contains no accounting of which projects were funded by Accelerate Memphis and which by the capital improvement program, though the director named both sources in the same sentence.

No member asked for any of it.

What happens next

The director said inspections at Westwood Pool were set for the day of the meeting, that the department hopes to reach substantial completion, and that it will work with Councilman Ford on a grand opening celebration. He said the department will produce a condensed timeline showing the final product as the projects wrap up. No date was given for either.

Your city. Your money. Your receipts.