The vacant lot that sits at 1895 Madison Ave. in Midtown Memphis was once home to the iconic Anderson's Restaurant and Oyster Bar-a nautical-themed, sea foam green, art deco restaurant that was a Memphis mainstay from the time they opened their Midtown location in 1956 until they closed for business in 2005.
While the maritime inspired interior and décor still live on inside The Cove Cocktail and Oyster Bar located at 2559 Broad Ave., the building was demolished in 2009 and the lot at the corner of Madison Avenue and Barksdale Street has remained vacant ever since.
Recently, the property was purchased by a neighboring restaurant, Huey's, which plans to partner with the Memphis chapter of Gaia to convert the grassy lot into a vegetable, herb and flower garden that will donate its produce to local food banks and shelters.
"I think the garden is a great addition to Memphis and Midtown. It is a new concept and compliments Huey's effort to go green," General Manager of Huey's Midtown location, Ashley Hooppaw said. "The garden is another way of giving back to the community with the food that will be donated to the homeless shelters. We are very proud and excited to be a part of this venture."
Gaia is a non-profit organization that originated in Chicago in 1999 and has since opened up eight chapters nationwide, including the recently founded Memphis chapter.
"We were unfamiliar with Gaia until they approached us with the idea of the garden. They seemed eager to help the community and enthusiastic about the project," said Shannon Little, marketing and events coordinator for Huey's Corporate Office. "Homelessness is a major problem in our city, and we wanted to help when we were presented with the opportunity."
According to their website, Gaia's mission is to create awareness about the environment, educate the public, run recycling operations and support environmental projects and programs locally and globally. The organization is best known for its bright green clothes and shoe recycling bins located around the city.
In addition to the recycling program, they have several other programs including the international "Millions of Trees," where they help developing countries plant trees, and the Community Table Initiative.
"The Community Table Initiative is basically a three-pronged initiative," Sarah Needham Taylor, Gaia Mid-South Community Representative said. "Part one is to occupy some of the vacant properties in Memphis. The second goal is to fill those lots with productive gardening plots, and the third prong of the community garden program is to educate students in the Memphis and mid-south area about organic gardening."
Organizers plan to grow a wide variety of vegetables such as beans, broccoli, beets, carrots, greens, squash and tomatoes, in addition to various herbs and wildflowers. Gaia started planting the seedlings in February, and plans to transfer the plants into the newly constructed raised beds in the upcoming months as the weather becomes more hospitable.
"The goal is to grow as much healthy, organic produce as we can, and to donate it all to the food bank," Taylor said. "Everyone should have the same access to healthy food regardless of income."
The environmentally concerned non-profit also plans to use the lot as a water collection site, possibly with the help of recycled Coca-Cola syrup barrels and Kronos wind turbines.
Kronos is a family operated business located in Cordova, Tenn., that offers renewable energy solutions to a wide array of consumers. According to the manufacturer, the Kronos Wind 4 Water turbine is a 20-foot Vertical Axis Wind Turbine that was designed with farmers, ranchers and developing countries in mind.
Once the garden is fully operational Taylor said they will be in need of volunteers. Organizations and individuals also have the option to sponsor a garden bed with a $125 donation.
Interested parties can contact the Memphis chapter of Gaia at Gaiamemphis@gmail.com, or visit the website at www.gaia-movement-usa.org.
