The redevelopment of the former Northside High School continued to make meaningful progress in 2025, positioning Northside Square for a series of phased openings beginning in 2026.

The $81 million project, led by community development nonprofit The Works Inc., is transforming the historic campus at 1212 Vollintine Ave. into a 270,000-square-foot mixed-use destination designed to support affordable housing, workforce training, arts organizations, healthcare services, and small businesses in the Klondike neighborhood.

According to The Works President and CEO Roshun Austin, the project’s core and shell construction is substantially complete, marking a major milestone and allowing tenant buildouts to move forward. Mechanical systems are operational, and the development team has shifted into final construction, cleanup, and interior completion phases.

Northside Square includes 42 affordable one- and two-bedroom residential units on the third floor, with move-ins anticipated in early 2026. The development also features approximately 200,000 square feet of commercial space, much of which has already been pre-leased to mission-driven organizations and community-serving businesses.

Several tenants are actively preparing their spaces with the goal of opening in 2026. Moore Tech, a vocational and technical college, is converting the building’s 48,200-square-foot basement into its fourth campus. The school plans to complete its buildout in 2025 and begin welcoming students in fall 2026, offering programs in HVAC, welding, and property maintenance.

Additional organizations—including the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Literacy Mid-South—are advancing their buildouts with anticipated openings in mid to late 2026. Code Crew, a technology training organization, and Lifedoc Health are also preparing first-floor spaces, expanding access to digital skills training and healthcare services within the neighborhood.

The Works will also operate The Law Offices, a collaborative legal services space created in partnership with West Tennessee Legal Services, the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, and several local law firms. The office will provide accessible legal support for residents and small businesses and is expected to open in 2026.

Construction is also underway on six kiosk-style retail spaces in Northside Square’s central corridor. Designed to offer low-barrier entry for entrepreneurs, the kiosks are expected to be ready for businesses by early 2027.

The first floor will include a food hall operated by locally owned A.R. Williams Hospitality. The concept will function as a shared ghost kitchen model, allowing multiple food brands to operate from a single kitchen while testing and growing their concepts. A market area offering farm-fresh produce from The Works’ farms and shelf-stable goods is also planned, with openings anticipated in 2026.

Earlier this year, The Works marked the completion of Phase 1 with a ribbon cutting celebrating Northside Square as the largest Black-led development in a majority-Black neighborhood in Memphis and one of the most significant private investments in Klondike in decades.

More than 40 percent of project vendors are minority- and women-owned businesses, with more than $40 million spent with those firms to date. CBRE will manage the property.

Project leaders say the continued progress at Northside Square reflects a long-term commitment to equitable development—one that restores a historic neighborhood landmark while creating opportunities for residents, entrepreneurs, and families to thrive without displacement as the project moves toward its 2026 openings.

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