Beale Street historic district needs a reboot. Here's developer John Elkington's vision

I felt physically ill when I read about the latest shooting on Beale Street in late April. Three security guards were shot at a popular club. My first thought was how hard we worked to return commerce to this historic street and to make it a safe place to enjoy live music and good food.

The redevelopment of Beale Street began less than two decades after the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He joined Memphis sanitation workers on Beale Street in what turned out to be his last public march.

After King's assassination, there was doubt whether the once-thriving entertainment district could be redeveloped. There was much mistrust in the community between the races. The once-vibrant street was falling into disrepair. It was home to pawnshops and vacant buildings instead of busy clubs and stores. A. Schwab’s variety store was the only holdout from the original Beale.

When we began the redevelopment of Beale Street in the mid-1980s, we had three goals to guide the process:

• To return commerce to the street;

• to make Beale the music center of the region; and

• to eliminate barriers that would prevent anyone from participating in bringing this street back to life.

More: In 1977, the board of Memphis in May revived a downtown that had died along with MLK Jr.

Security of Beale Street was also an issue of great concern for Memphis

Our plans for the renovation of Beale Street were to represent a Memphis of all races, stations and interest. It was to be a civic and economic partnership reflecting the music, culture and food of this city in a secure environment.

Security was a major issue from the beginning. To that end, we worked with the Memphis Police Department to bring a sub-station to Beale and we made a conscious decision to bring retired military veterans like Cliff Dates and Lew Winston in to devise a security plan. We had one security force.

Today I understand there are four separate security teams (patrolling Beale Street's district) and the police sub-station is used for roll call, not enforcement.

Our goal was to bring live music that reflected the history and culture of Beale back to the street. B.B.King’s, Rum Boogie Café, Alfred’s and Blues City Café have been in business for more than 40 years.

We created festivals and events to highlight the city’s music and history. New Year’s Eve became a way to showcase Beale Street and the city of Memphis with live countdown shows broadcast locally and, with the help of WKNO, to television stations around the country.

We created a Summer Concert Series featuring up-and-coming country music artists. we created parades and other events designed to bring families and fun to the street. We worked deals with local television stations to broadcast the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Parade and other events live. And, we made sure Beale Street was part of community celebrations like Memphis in May, For years, we worked hard to make sure there were no vacancies on Beale.

Memphis must save 'America's Most Iconic Street'

What happened? Now, many people fear going to Downtown Memphis. In March, a person was shot and killed in front of a club on Beale. In late April, three security officers were shot. It’s too much.

I believe the city needs to make several changes to combat the crime that is undermining what USA Today in 2013 described as “America’s Most Iconic Street.”

First, the city of Memphis should establish a security district that includes the Peabody, Hyatt Centric and Westin hotels, FedEx Forum, Beale Street and the Orpheum Theater. The district could use existing cameras and add new ones to help monitor potentially dangerous situations.

More: Memphis in May started in 1977 to bridge racial differences and rebuild weakened downtown

Re-establish the MPD substation which was on Beale for 30 years as a viable precinct. And, this one is tough, because I went to the Tennessee legislature to change to laws to allow businesses within the Beale Street Historic District to stay open and sell alcohol until five in the morning. It is time to change. Bars and restaurants should close at 2 a.m.

Move food trucks and vendors that operate directly outside the historic district away from Beale. They don’t pay rent or observe the same rules and regulations as the Beale Street merchants.

Next, fill vacancies with tenants whose offerings reflect the city’s musical heritage. Find tenants for upstairs office space that can help restore the vibrancy and energy to Beale. We had radio stations, WREC and Rock103 broadcast live from Beale every day. The synergy created between the live broadcasts and the happenings on Beale added to the excitement about the district and made it a place people wanted to be. Finally, continue what we started with free music offerings that support local talent. The recent Stax Music Academy’s “Dance into Summer Spring music series” is a good example.

Beale Street has contributed more than $160 million in sales, liquor, and hotel taxes plus fees and rent over the last 40 years.

Let’s do more to make Beale Street a safe and vibrant place for families, tourists and everyone to enjoy.

John Elkington is a Memphis developer who was a key figure behind the redevelopment of the Beale Street entertainment district in the mid 1980s.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Beale Street crime revamp John Elkington's vision Memphis tourism