By Andy Greenman

To surrender an automobile for a day, one may encounter a few challenges. To give up an automobile for good, one will take on a whole new lifestyle. Just ask veteran developer Andre D. Jones.

In 2009, Jones was living in the Greenlaw neighborhood with his wife Dorothy and their daughter. He was early in his career and researching new urban design techniques. He was searching for a spark.

“I was getting close to 40 and I didn’t feel great.” Jones thought, “What can I do?”

Jones bought a bike off Craigslist. He hoped that pedaling around the neighborhood would improve his health while further understanding the meaning of a walkable/bikeable city. It did just that. So much in fact that he eventually got rid of his carbon monoxide-spewing machine altogether. Today, he and the Uptown community are benefiting from his two-wheeled commuting.

KATRINA COTTAGE

Jones and his brother Curtis have been designing and building homes since the turn of the century. Home building is part of the Jones DNA. Their father ran a brick masonry crew and their mother worked in furniture manufacturing at the old Memphis Furniture near the old Lamar Terrace housing project. They worked on a variety of homes in the suburbs before the creation of the Uptown Redevelopment District (URD). The brothers also formed their own business, Jones Urban Development (JUD).

They were chosen as one of the three home builders for the URD, and built the first homes in 2005. They collaborated with FaxonGillis Homes to construct five single-family homes at the intersection of 5th Street and Mill Avenue, known as the demonstration block. At the time, the housing market was red-hot due to the revitalization of Harbor Town and the proximity to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Homes were sold before a shovel was dug into the ground. When the real estate bubble burst around 2008, revitalization of Uptown slowed considerably.

Next, there was a large demand for HOPE VI development — a HUD program intended to revitalize the most distressed public housing projects into mixed-income developments. They built a series of homes in the McKinley Park development of South City.

As South City was being developed, a new trend of housing was brewing south of Memphis in The Big Easy. Hundreds of thousands of homes had been demolished or badly damaged due to Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was unable to provide housing trailers to those in need. An alternate form of housing called Katrina Cottages became a blessing for the region.

Katrina Cottages have a much smaller footprint than a traditional home. They’re attractive, efficient, and quite durable. Those characteristics caught Jones’ eye.

Jones designed and built his version of a Katrina Cottage in Greenlaw. The 1,100 sq. ft. three-bedroom home measured larger than what was being built in New Orleans, but smaller than most new construction. He also built the first accessory dwelling unit, or backyard cottage, on this property after the newly adopted Unified Development Code made them legal again.  After completing it, he and his family made it their home.

PIONEER

While keeping up with current laws and codes, Jones also takes note of popular authors Shay Salomon, Jeff Speck, and Christopher Alexander. To build up to the Jones Urban Development’s standards, Jones himself has had to fight.

For example, Shelby County required floor vents for homes with a crawl space. These vents pushed fresh air below to the foundation. Jones lobbied Shelby County Code Enforcement after finding research from North Carolina that proved that humid air below the home would rot the floor joists faster. He insisted that builders should seal the crawl space and insulate the interior of the foundation, cutting off air to the crawl space. Jones request was approved. Shortly after, JUD became the first developer in Shelby County to build a sealed crawl space.

In the spring of 2024, Jones spent time at the state’s capital to fight for the interest of builders and residents alike. National building codes require that any housing larger than a duplex requires a sprinkler system, but a local amendment was put in place to allow three to and four family homes to be built with two hour fire separation walls instead of sprinklers. The State Fire Marshall blocked the local amendment.

The Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning & Development drafted a bill to remedy the situation and Jones testified against fire chiefs and inspectors. He spent days in committee meetings trying to convince them that this was not going to reduce safety. Firewalls and smoke detectors will not only contain a fire and save lives, but they save a lot of money on building costs—which in turn, saves money for the resident. Jones won again. His fight is helping Memphis builders save expenses and reduce the gap for affordable housing.

REVITALIZING UPTOWN

For almost two decades, JUD has exclusively worked in the Uptown neighborhood. Jones wants to make the neighborhood his family has lived in for 18 years, better. Plus, it’s a shorter bike ride when he works near his family. All of his work takes place within a 20-minute bike ride of his house.

Located just over a mile north of AutoZone Park, Malone Park Commons (MPC) is receiving its finishing touches. The 35-unit community developed by JUD includes cottages, live/work buildings, and fourplexes. Each home includes an outdoor living space, hardwood floors, and large windows with views of downtown. Jones is adamant his developments receive ample natural light. While many of the homes are already occupied, a few are in the final stages of construction along Second Street.

The Commons has also brought some much-needed business to Uptown. Alicia Dixon and Marquis White of the Dixon-White Restaurant Group opened Groovy Gratitude on June 19, 2024. The corner sandwich and smoothie shop is a welcoming presence for its clientele which includes Uptown neighbors, Varsity Spirit employees, St. Jude employees, and Harbor town residents. Evolve Pilates is joining the community this spring next door to Groovy.  Jones is extremely proud to have these Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood. They are vital to making neighborhoods resilient.

This large development took a little longer than Jones expected. Spending time advocating for fire safety slowed things down, but Jones is satisfied with the project. He understands the impact this project has had on boosting the neighborhood, but emphasized, “We’ve learned more than we earned.”

Just a 90-second bike ride from Malone Park Commons, JUD is completing the construction of housing units at the corner of Third Street and Keel Avenue. JUD was hired as the general contractor by Malasri Engineering. The project features a two-story home and a one-bedroom backyard cottage on each lot. These homes sit on a block that the CRA plans to develop into more housing. As these and hundreds of new apartments in the Historic Snuff District become available this year, Jones is focused on building attainable housing for purchase.

To create more homeownership opportunities, he is currently working on a development plan to honor his old developer friend Tommy Pacello. Firehouse Row is a nod to Pacello, who redeveloped a century-old horse-drawn fire carriage station at the corner of North Third Street and Looney Avenue before passing of cancer in 2020.

A Phase 1 environmental assessment is set to take place in March, thanks to a grant through the CRA. JUD also received a pre-development grant from the Memphis Medical District Collaborative for conceptual plans. Progress is pushing forward as the plans are being finalized.

As of today, Firehouse Row features a mix of one-bedroom cottages and two-bedroom townhomes. Jones is working to incorporate feedback he received from the neighbors.  The entire development will feature affordability with prices in the range of 80-100% AMI. Jones is excited to honor his friend and continue to change the landscape in North Memphis.

BUILDING GENERATIONAL WEALTH

Jones is not only physically changing the Uptown landscape, but he is also educating students. Being a father of two, he understands the financial challenges Black people encounter from a young age. He knows that homeownership ties up money and that homes in black neighborhoods don’t appreciate like they should. He preaches that there are better ways to build generational wealth than purchasing a family home. This is why he created the Financial Freedom Award.

Entering its second year at Crosstown High School – where Jones serves on the board – the Award is a book club of sorts. Students interested in the Award must read and report on “The Simple Path To Wealth,” by J.L. Collins.

Following the book chats, the students present their plan to build generational wealth for themselves and how it would impact their lives, Shark Tank-style.

Last year, seven students participated in the program, with the top three presenters walking away with a total purse of $6,000 in mutual funds. Jones exchanges contact info with each student who participated and is willing to assist them on their way to generational wealth.