Memphis directs $3.26 million to Southwest Memphis projects

Memphis City Council on Nov. 10, 2026, approved allocating $3,259,282 for programs and projects in the five-mile zone around the Paul R. Lowery Road AI property, with spending restricted to locations within Memphis city limits.

Under Community Benefit Ordinance 5953, 25% of the city’s real- and personal-property-tax revenue collected on AI properties is assigned to public purposes benefiting areas within five miles of those properties. The resolution identifies the full FY2026 public-purpose amount associated with the Lowery Road property.

Where the allocation is going i

Home repairs make up about 61.4% of the total: $2 million divided by $3,259,282. The other seven allocations add up to $1,259,282, or about 38.6%. The repair assistance may cover critical repairs, weatherization and accessibility modifications. At least $50,000 of the nonprofit grants is dedicated to healthcare-focused organizations.

Approval is not an application opening i

For residents wondering whether they can apply now, the council’s vote authorizes the allocation but does not establish that the money has been disbursed or that a program is accepting applications. As of the meeting, the city had not announced an opening date or eligibility rules for home-repair assistance.

At the meeting, a resident asked how many homes the $2 million might serve, how residents would qualify and how results would be measured. Memphis Report said the resident was told someone would follow up. The resolution also directs an amendment to the FY2027 budget to reflect the appropriation.

Memphis Report counted 12 audible yes votes and no audible no votes on the meeting livestream. Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas’s vote was not read aloud, so that count is not a complete roll-call tally. Two separate data-center ordinances were held until Dec. 22; they were not enacted by this spending vote.