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Greater Memphis Chamber is launching a new moon mission in an effort to return the city to its glory days of the mid-20th century, when it was regarded as one of the cleanest cities in the United States. The Memphis Clean by 2019 announcement came at the recent annual Greater Memphis Chamber's Chairman Circle luncheon.
"Since the beginning we wanted to find a moon mission that would include every citizen in our community--one that every Memphian could see, touch and feel," says Spence Wilson Jr., Principal of Kemmons Wilson Companies, in a statement. "The Chairman's Circle has voted to put the power and resources of the business community behind an unprecedented effort to rid Memphis of trash and blight."
The plan is still in the early stages according to Chamber Director of Communications Christina Meek.
"The announcement is just a tease for what's to come in 2015," she says. "We're still working on the next steps and will release a plan later next year."
If the effort mimics a similar initiative from the late 1940s that transformed the city, blighted buildings and homes will be torn down; flowers and gardens will be planted on vacant lots; neglected residential, commercial and industrial buildings will be rehabbed; and landowners will be educated on the personal and civic value of keeping their properties attractive.
Other Chamber moon missions centered on the development of the city that are already underway include the Long Range Plan and Advance Green Spaces.
Leaders hope that the Memphis Clean by 2019 mission will be fully realized in time for the city's bicentennial celebration in 2019.
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