Sterick Building

Infobox nrhp
name = Sterick Building
nrhp_type =

---

caption = The Sterick Building
location = 8 N. 3rd St
Memphis, Tennessee
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 35
lat_minutes = 8
lat_seconds = 41.09
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 90
long_minutes = 2
long_seconds = 59.33
long_direction = W
area =
built = 1928
architect = Wyatt C. Hedrick
architecture = Late Gothic
added = October 2, 1978
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum =78002636
mpsub =
governing_body = Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = Sterick Building
location = Memphis, Tennessee
coordinates = coord|35|8|41.09|N|90|3|59.33|W|display=inline
groundbreaking =
constructed = 1928
use =
antenna_spire =
roof =
top_floor = convert|365|ft|m
floor_count = 29
elevator_count =
cost =
floor_area = convert|350883|sqft|m2
architect = Wyatt C. Hedrick
engineer =
contractor =
developer =
owner =
management =
references = [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=125441 Emporis Listing] ]

The Sterick Building is an office building in Memphis, Tennessee. It was designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick & Co., and was completed in 1930—its name is a contraction of the original owners' names "R.E. Sterling" and "Wyatt Hedrick". It is a gothic-style tower, 111 m (365 ft) tall with 29 floors. When it opened it 1930 it was the tallest building in the SouthCitation
last=Finger
first=Michael
title=Memphis landmarks that have stood vacant for years, waiting for someone to bring them back to life.
newspaper=Memphis Flyer
issue=459
year=1997
date=December 4, 1997
url=http://www.memphisflyer.com/backissues/issue459/cvr459.htm] and was the tallest building in Tennessee until 1957. It is now the fifth-tallest building in Memphis.cite news | first=Teresa R. | last=Simpson | coauthors= | title=Memphis' Tallest Buildings | date= | publisher= | url =http://memphis.about.com/od/historyandfacts/ss/skyscrapers_7.htm | work =About.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-02 | language = ]

Early History

Once called “the Queen of Memphis” and “the most complex, the most fabulous building in Memphis,” the Sterick Building featured a white stone spire topped with a green tile roof; its own bank, pharmacy, barber shop and beauty parlor; and stockbrokers' offices. The first three floors were made from granite and limestone. From the lobby, which was said to “rival [s] the beauty of a Moorish castle,” its eight high-speed elevators ferried the building's 2,000+ workers and guests to the upper floors, including the Regency Room restaurant on the top floor.

Decline

The building began to decline in the 1960s, and, despite a number of alterations (including being repainted from its original white and green to yellow and tan), it has been left vacant since the 1980s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Some photographs of the abandoned interior of the building along with views from inside looking towards the Mississippi River and other downtown Memphis buildings can be viewed at the LostMemphis.com website.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Sterick Building: Third and Madison | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.mallofmemphis.org/Main/SterickBuilding | work =LostMemphis.com | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-02 | language = ]

Recent Events

In 2006, the Memphis Center City Commission placed the Sterick Building on its list of "Top Ten Center City Redevelopment Sites."Citation
author=Memphis Center City Commission
title="Top Ten" Center City Redevelopment Sites
url=http://www.downtownmemphis.com/downtownmemphis/documents/topten2.pdf] Criteria for inclusion on this list include:
* “A site that is important to the health and vitality of its neighborhood and [of Memphis] .”
* “A site that currently has no solid redevelopment plans on the board.”
* “A site with architecture significant in the history of Memphis.”
* “A site where redevelopment is seen as a catalyst for future improvements.”

The 350,883-square-foot property was appraised at $419,200 in 2005.cite news | first=Andy | last=Meek | coauthors= | title=Underutilized Downtown Properties Await Development | date=2005-08-23 | publisher= | url =http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=28690 | work =Memphis Daily News | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-02 | language = ]

While local desire to see the building redeveloped has been expressed, the difficulties of the undertaking have also been noted. These include the large size of the property, the height of the floor plates, lack of adequate duct work, environmental issues, and the need to bring the building up to current seismic standards.cite news | first=Jane | last=Aldinger | coauthors= | title=Ripe for redevelopmentCenter City tags Top 10 buildings needing attention | date=2005-10-07 | publisher=American City Business Journals | url =http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2005/10/10/story1.html | work =Memphis Business Journal | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-02 | language = ]

Further complications toward redevelopment include possible legal entanglements regarding ownership. The Sterick Building is a land lease property wherein the original builders leased the land the building stands on for 99 years without buying the land outright. The land and the building are currently owned separately.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Jewels of Memphis: The Sterick Building | date=2007-08-01 | publisher= | url =http://gatesofmemphis.blogspot.com/2007/08/jewels-of-memphis-sterick-building.html | work =The Gates of Memphis | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-02 | language = ] The land is owned by the Grosvenor family and the building’s owner is currently Sterick LLC of Atlanta, Georgia.

Acknowledging the difficulties of redeveloping such a large building, local preservationists also have expressed optimism that a redevelopment boom in downtown Memphis, particularly coupled with increasing residential growth in the neighborhood, may make the Sterick Building, with its height and views over the Mississippi River, a candidate for residential conversion to apartments or condominiums. Preservationists have also noted the possibility of tax credits and possible conservation easements for developers.

References

External Links

* [http://memphismemories.org/Topics/Buildings/Commercial_Buildings/Sterick_Building/Sterick_Building.php Historical Representations of Sterick Building at MemphisMemories.org]
* [http://hdl.handle.net/10267/157 "Sterick Building at Night", Rhodes College Digital Depository]