Mixed-use development advances in Midtown's Cooper Young district

By Stephen MacLeod – Reporter, Memphis Business Journal

August 18, 2025

Carlisle Development Co. is moving forward with the townhome component of its $137 million Midtown project, The Cooper.

The mixed-use development — formerly known as Central Yards — received a PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) incentive from the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. earlier this year.

Plans for The Cooper include 250 Class A multifamily units, 27 townhomes, a 125-key hotel, and a 325-space parking garage. The project will be built on the former Albert Cook Plumbing Co. site in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, between Central Avenue and York Avenue, just west of Cooper Street.

Carlisle recently filed for a certificate of appropriateness to construct five townhomes at the corner of Tanglewood Street and York Avenue. The townhomes, which will be three stories, are located within a historic district.

According to previous filings, the townhome portion is expected to break ground in the third quarter of 2025 and be completed in 2027. The units will be offered as rental housing.

The project was designed by Memphis-based architecture firm LRK and is being built by Grinder, Taber & Grinder.

Design documents included in the application show a focus on blending with the surrounding neighborhood. Building heights will step down from six stories at the northeast corner — near higher-density commercial areas — to two and three stories closer to adjacent residential areas.

The exterior design emphasizes materials common to the area, including brick, fiber cement siding, and a mix of asphalt and metal roofing.

The architectural approach draws on the character of nearby historic structures while incorporating contemporary elements, aiming to create a cohesive transition between new development and the existing neighborhood.

Because the project received a PILOT incentive, it will also require approval from the Downtown Memphis Commission’s Design Review Board.