Demolition Permit Filed for Metro Shopping Plaza

A permit to tear down the vacant South Memphis shopping plaza was filed late last week, months after the county approved incentives for the site.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Commercial

Demolition Permit Filed for Metro Shopping Plaza

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A demolition permit was filed late last week to tear down the 65,753-square-foot Metro Shopping Plaza at 410 E.H. Crump Boulevard in South Memphis. The vacant structure, which has been surrounded by chain-link for months, is owned by Beruk Properties.

Why it matters

The site has sat empty since a 2025 fire damaged the structure and injured a firefighter, and its future has been under discussion since the county approved incentives for revitalization. The owner's planned replacement would add housing to a South Memphis corridor that has seen little new residential development.

The 65,753-square-foot structure was bought for $3.6 million in 2023 and is now appraised by the county at $1.2 million, a gap of $2.4 million. Four businesses were operating at the site when the $3.5 million incentive package was approved.

The players

Beruk Properties

Beruk Properties is the owner of the Metro Shopping Plaza, which it bought in 2023 and now plans to replace with a mixed-use development.

Shelby County

Shelby County is the local government that approved $3.5 million in incentives for revitalization of the site and records its property appraisal.

The details

Beruk Properties' proposed replacement is a mixed-use development with 250 apartments and some retail, estimated at about $55 million. WREG has contacted a representative of the owner to ask about plans for the site, and no response is reported.

2023: Beruk Properties purchased the property for $3.6 million.
2024: Shelby County approved $3.5 million in revitalization incentives.
2025: A fire damaged the structure and injured a firefighter.
Late October 2026: A demolition permit was filed for the structure.

Commercial Real Estate Context

The county's $3.5 million incentive package for this plaza was approved in 2024, and the demolition permit now signals the owner is moving away from retail reuse. The shift from a vacant strip center toward apartments mirrors the redevelopment-by-incentive model Shelby County has used to bring stalled commercial sites back into use.

Residents near East H.E. Crump Boulevard will see the vacant plaza removed and, if the owner proceeds, new apartments and retail added to the corridor. Demolition and construction work may bring temporary disruption to the surrounding blocks.

The takeaway

Vacant commercial properties often change hands at a loss before redevelopment is proposed, and public incentives can shape whether a site is reused or replaced. Watch for the owner's next filings to see whether the mixed-use plan moves forward.