Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods
The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) a $2,693,160 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant. The grant will help mitigate the barrier and impacts of Interstate 40 for seven historically African American and disinvested neighborhoods in North Memphis.
Because of the egregious conditions of the intersections and their significant neighborhood impacts, community-driven planning has been conducted over the last 5-10 years, and this planning grant builds on that foundation, with a focus on working out the design details and to prepare as much as possible for implementation. Important elements for consideration will include improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, reimagining perilous pedestrian bridges, and exploring measures to turn adjacent vacant lots into a network of environmentally beneficial green spaces with trails.
Help Reconnect Your Neighborhood!
The CRA invites you to an upcoming community meeting to provide your input. The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood planning project aims to improve the safety and accessibility of streets, crossings, and public spaces for people walking, biking, driving, and using transit, with a focus on areas affected by the interstate.
We will review 12 crossing points along I-40 in New Chicago, Klondike, Smokey City, Speedway Terrace, Crosstown, and the Medical District.
Come share what’s working, what’s not, and what you want to see in the future.
The meeting is free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided.
Community Input Meeting
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
5:30–7:30 pm
Dave Wells Community Center | 915 Chelsea Ave Memphis, TN 38107
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
5:30–7:30 pm
Room in the Inn | 409 Ayers St, Memphis TN 38105
Request for Proposal
Grant Management Services: Reconnecting Communities Neighborhood Access & Equity Grant
The CRA issued a Request for Proposal with the sole purpose and intent of obtaining proposals from interested and qualified professionals offering to provide Grant Management Services.