Shelby Farms is Working Towards a 'Master Plan'

 Shelby Farms Plans for Success

Nov. 9, 2011

By Michelle Corbet

The non-profit group operating Shelby Farms has a goal of raising more than $75 million to transform the park into a central landmark and cultural oasis for more than one million visitors every year.

The park contains 4,500 acres of woods, fields and meadows and is located in the heart of the Memphis area, yet raising the money and transforming the park is facing several challenges concerning the budget, fundraising and having enough volunteers to operate the park and Greenline.

The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy took over park operations and management in 2007, with the Shelby County Government maintaining ownership of the land.  Jen Andrews, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy’s director of communications, referred to this relationship as a public-private partnership. “This is the same format used to operate Central Park (New York City, N.Y.), Forrest Park (St. Louis, Mo.) and many other large and successful parks,” Andrews said.

When the management agreement between the Shelby County government and the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy was drawn, the county agreed to continue funding the cost it spent on park maintenance each year it ran the park. The county spent a little less than $600,000 to maintain the park each year.

But budget cuts for Shelby Farms were proposed by Commissioner Terry Roland in June of this year. He wanted to cut the $600,000 the county agreed to give The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. Commissioners could not cut the budget this year because they must give at least a year’s notice before they can cut more than $500,000. 

Andrews said the Shelby County Government understands and intends to honor its obligation to the management agreement.

“Though a commissioner floated the idea of cutting the allocation, he did not have the support of his fellow commissioners, and we have since been able to help that commissioner understand the significance of the county being faithful to our agreement,” Andrews said.

If the county withheld the money, the agreement would be broken and The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy would no longer manage the park.

“To withhold our allocation would be to break that agreement, and we don’t think they are interested in doing that since it would mean they would need to take over management of the park and would not have the ability to fundraise or have access to the former allocation money,” Andrews said.

If the management agreement was broken, and the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy was not managing the park, the master plan would come to a standstill. According to the Master Plan Executive Summary, the master plan is “a bold yet practical framework for future investment in the Park, creating a world-class Park of exceptional distinction that appeals to the broadest possible constituency and heralds a new era where visionary parks are central to the creation of a wholesome, just and rich quality of urban life.”

The master plan is an ongoing project funded by fundraising and gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. The first phase of the campaign costs $75 million. Three projects of the master plan have already been completed, The Shelby Farms Greenline, Woodland Discovery Playground and Wolf River Pedestrian Bridge.

“Though we are fundraising in the most difficult economic climate in recent history, we have been able to raise more than $30 million and complete three major projects for the public,” Andrews said.  

 The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is actively fundraising to complete their next project, the expansion of Patriot Lake.

It has to raise more than $2.5 million to operate the park and Greenline each year. The park receives approximately 1 million visits per year.

“As a small nonprofit running the largest urban park in the country, we have to raise about $2.5 million dollars a year to keep the Park and Shelby Farms Greenline clean, safe and fun,” Andrews said.

The park generates revenue through facility rentals, membership fees and fundraisers. Fundraisers are the main source of revenue. 

“Since SFPC’s (Shelby Farms Park Conservancy) inception, we’ve established a range of annual events including Earth Week, GreenShoe Gala, Shelby Farms Greenline Anniversary Celebration and First Tennessee Starry Night,” Andrews said.

Starry Nights started in 1994 by Metropolitan Inner-Faith Association or MIFA as a fundraiser to benefit its service projects. It closed in 1999 from a decline in revenue and because it became too rigorous for the non-profit to set up and take down.

“It’s an extremely labor intensive and expensive show to create, and we spend much of the year preparing for it,” Andrews said.

The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy re-created the show completely from scratch. There were no original pieces left from the Starry Nights produced by MIFA in the ‘90s. Starry Nights is now made out of LED lights that use 85 percent less energy than the average Christmas light.

“We brought it back both because people sincerely wanted it and because we hoped it would be a major fundraiser for the park,” Andrews said. Starry Nights is Shelby Farms’ biggest fundraiser of the year.

Volunteers are vital to the operation of Shelby Farms Park and Greenline. The park regularly logs up to 20,000 volunteer hours each year.

“We are a very small staff running a very large operation, and our volunteers give us the capacity to accomplish great things,” Andrews said.

The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy also has inmates from the Shelby County Department of Corrections work under ranger supervision through a work release program for nonviolent offenders. Inmates have been working on Shelby Farms since 1929 when it served as a penal farm until 1964.

Inmates in the work release program have been working at Shelby Farms since the early ‘90s. The park commission at the time requested inmates to do work at the park.

“Inmates basically perform lawn and landscape duties; they also do maintenance for the buildings,” said Charles Winton, work line supervisor.

Inmates must meet the qualifications necessary to participate in the work release program.

“Inmates cannot go out to work with any violent, sex offense charges and their time must not be beyond 3 years,” said Winton.

The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is working with park users, volunteers and city officials to make sure the park is a central part of Memphis culture for generations to come.

In September, The Commercial Appeal wrote an editorial about the Tennessee Department of Transportation awarding Shelby County a near $4 million grant to extend the Shelby Farms Greenline about 6.5 miles east of Shelby Farms Park, linking Cordova to the park and trail.

The Shelby Farms Park website offers an events calendar, park maps and information. 

Shelby Farms' Master Plan

Here are some artists' illustrations of the way Shelby Farms Park looks today, the way it will look after the Master Plan is complete and the newest addition to the park, the Woodland Discovery Playground. You can see these diagrams in the lobby of the Shelby Farms Visitor Center.  

Visitor Center Rentals

       Renting the visitor center is one of the ways the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy generates revenue for the Master Plan. The visitor center consisits of a board room, eduaction room, patio, hallway/lobby and kitchen available for rent. For information about booking a rental visit: http://www.shelbyfarmspark.org/sfpc/family-event-indoor-rental

Here is a video slideshow of Chris and Jodi Deaton's 30th wedding anniversary party in the education room at the Shelby Farms visitor center:

Starry Nights December 2011

       Starry Nights is expanding its light show with new exhibits each year. This year, the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy has transformed the new Woodland Discovery Playground into Mistletoe Village where kids can roast marsh mellows, decorate a gingerbread man and get their picture taken with Santa. Each Monday Starry Nights is closed to vehicles and open to walkers, runners, skaters and cyclists for Run, Walk, & Ride the Starry Nights. The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is offering discounts in compliance with its theme nights, including student discount night, couples night and out-of -towners night for up to $5 off per car. Here is a video of some of the light exhibits being shown at Starry Nights this year:

Park Sounds

This video has a selection of sounds, you are likely to hear as you are walking the trails at Shelby Farms Park.

Block Parties on the Greenline for its One Year Anniversary

One year anniversary of the Shelby Farms Greenline

Happy Birthday Greenline

Memphis Citizens Plan Festivities to Celebrate Trail’s One-Year Anniversary

By Michelle Corbet

The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is bringing the community together for a weekend of neighborhood block parties, a basketball tournament and a half marathon race to raise money for the trail while celebrating it’s one year anniversary.

The Greenline is a seven-mile long paved trail linking Midtown Memphis to Shelby Farms Park. It opened Oct. 9 2010.

“Our theme is Bands, Bikes and Block Parties,” said Jen Andrews, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy’s director of communications. “We wanted to design an event that would capture the atmosphere of the trail.”

The Greenline anniversary weekend kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 1 with block parties on the Greenline from noon to 4 p.m. There will be live bands, kid’s activities, arts and crafts, local product vendors and food and beer for purchase. 

 “We will have great Memphis bands, arts and crafts, Memphis vendors that are our partners, non-profit booths, inflatables and a Kids Give Back tent tile project that will let the kids decorate a tile telling how it (Shelby Farms Greenline) has impacted Memphis,” said Natalie Wilson, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy’s events manager.   

Entry is free to all block parties. Some activities are free and some cost a dollar or two, said Andrews. A Kids Give Back tile costs $2 to decorate.

There will be three parties along the trial: at the Podesta Street entrance, Waring Road entrance and High Point Terrace entrance connecting East Memphis, the U of M area and Midtown neighborhoods. 

“The Greenline has unified the community; it has abled communities to breakout of their tight knit neighborhoods and interact with the community as a whole, it’s a healthy alternative to sitting at home in front of the TV for family activity and it cuts back on negative images about our city like child obesity and crime,” said Wilson. “It’s a safe place for families and something unique to Memphis.”    

Aerobic Cruiser Hybrid Cycles, the Greenline anniversary’s main sponsor, will have its human/electric hybrid bikes available for bike enthusiasts to view and enjoy at the High Point Terrance Block Party. For more information visit the Aerobic Cruiser Website.     

Activities will also take place at the end of the trail near the Tillman Street entrance where the first Greenline 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament will take place at Lester Community Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.     

“That idea came from our education and outreach manager, Matt Farr,” said Andrews. “We challenged him to come up with something fun to do on that side of the trial. It starts with a “b”; we should have called it Bands, Bikes, Block Parties and Basketball.”

The tournament will feature a live DJ; face painting, activities for kids and food available for purchase. There are 16 teams consisting of three team members on each team made up of men and women ages 18 and above. The tournament is double elimination with the $20 participation fee going toward the Greenline.     

Saturday night the party continues with Park After Dark from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Shelby Farms Park Visitor Center. Party-goers can watch the sunset over Patriot Lake as they listen to the music of John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives. There will also be activities for kids. Ciao Bella Italian Grill is catering the event, $10 per adult, $5 per child.

There will be a booth at Park After Dark where half marathon participants can pick up their race day packets for Sunday’s race.

“The packet has a lot of goodies including coupons and brochures, a special dri-fit t-shirt, which will soon be a collectible and a custom toe tag, which is a chip you put in your shoe lace, all the cool races have them,” said Andrews. “They record your exact finish time and runners usually collect them.”

The Shelby Farms Greenline Half Marathon is the first race the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy has ever produced. The half marathon is a benefit race supporting the trail. All proceeds from the race will go towards the maintenance of the Shelby Farms Greenline.

“The work is continuous and the Greenline cannot take place without the generosity of people giving back to the park they enjoy,” said Wilson.  “The donations truly impact our mission.”

The race is 13.1 miles long starting at Patriot Lake, winding throughout the park and ending on the other side of the lake at the Visitors Center. For a detailed map of the race course visit the Shelby Farms Greenline Half Marathon website.

“The route begins near the visitor’s center, it goes through part of the park, across the pedestrian bridge at Wolf River and finishes through the park, mostly along the last leg of the Greenline,” said Andrews. 

The race starts at 8 a.m. Walkers and strollers are welcome as long as you can finish the race within four hours.

“With the advice from the Memphis Track Club, we decided not to have waves but put all competitive runners at the front with walkers and strollers behind,” said Andrews. 

Everyone who finishes the race will receive a finisher medal, specially designed with a buffalo on the front. Awards will be given to the top three male and female overall.

Volunteers are a vital part of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy team as they have a small staff and a large work environment. Andrews said there were over 20,000 volunteer hours logged last year. 

“We’ll probably have more than 150 volunteers at the race,” said Andrews. “They do many things; they are involved with the creation of the event, registration, stuffing race packets, working the water stations and encouraging runners.”

The Greenline has given Memphians who are passionate about running and riding the trails a place to connect and interact in their community.  

“The Greenline has reenergized Memphis,” said Andrews. “We knew it would be popular but we couldn’t anticipate how it gave people who love to bike and run a new outlet and people who haven’t done it in a while a way to rediscover that love.”  

6,608 people like the Shelby Farms Greenline on Facebook as of Oct. 9, 2010. Become one of them at:

http://www.facebook.com/ShelbyFarmsGreenline