Crye-Leike is defending itself yet again over the demolition of the ornate facade of the old Anderton’s East restaurant, this time for posting a “for sale” sign on the empty lot.

Photo by Dave Darnell, Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal
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Last November, when Crye-Leike razed the Anderton’s East facade, the agency was still talking about building its Midtown office on the site, but the current “for sale” sign is raising doubts.

The city’s largest real estate agency had said last fall it planned to build its Midtown office where Anderton’s used to be, at the corner of Madison and Barksdale.

So the recently erected sign has some people scratching their heads, especially those who miss the pale-green, glazed terra cotta tiles on Anderton’s veneer.

Crye-Leike is asking $775,000 for the lot, about three-quarters of an acre.

One person who saw the “for sale” sign e-mailed Dick Leike to express his displeasure.

Leike provided The Commercial Appeal a copy of his e-mail response.

“We will still build if and when we can find a way or a partner with funds,” part of his e-mail states. “Otherwise we will sell all or a few lots for a new development. I assure you that those who know us will vouch for us not having any ulterior motives.”

Crye-Leike intended to move its Midtown office there from the existing office at 2200 Union, and still may, Leike said.

But several factors worked against the project, Leike and general manager Steve Brown said.

The poor economy meant that banks wouldn’t lend as much for the $1.5 million building, forcing Crye-Leike to spend too much money it would normally use on operations.

Also, incorporating the old Anderton’s facade into a new building would add too much expense to construction, Leike has said.

But another issue is whether a purchaser of the lot would follow good urban design by placing a new building next to the sidewalk with parking in the back. That configuration is safer for pedestrians and is better at creating a neighborhood sense of place than fronting the building with a parking lot.

“If they sell the property, I hope the new owners would be willing to use good urban design principles in building the building,” said Charles ‘Chooch’ Pickard, executive director of the Memphis Regional Urban Design Center.

Crye-Leike had planned to build its building to the sidewalk, using a similar footprint as the old Anderton’s.

The real estate company had good intentions, initially spending much time, money and work preserving Anderton’s two remaining exterior walls, Leike responded to the e-mail critic.

“Things such as removing the old 2 story kitchen that was structurally unsound. There were constant contacts with code enforcement on a vacant building, and having to put up with vandalism, copper thieves and the graffiti artist,” Leike wrote.

“High winds taking out 2 main sections of the 7 sections of roof. Numerous conversations with Memphis/Shelby County Office of Planning and Development, architects, engineers, general contractors, the Heritage foundation, not to mention the tough commercial real estate market.”

Leike said his own home is 153 years old, and that he wanted to save Anderton’s facade.

“Numerous individuals gave us moral support. Others sat by the sidelines and waited till the walls came down before they raised their criticisms,” he wrote. “Maybe it’s the economy, certainly not our efforts.”

– Tom Bailey Jr.: 529-2388

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