CKX Still Committed To Graceland Revamp

The area surrounding Graceland is still set for a facelift, CKX CEO Robert Sillerman says, despite news that his company is on the sales block.

CKX paid $114 million for a majority share in Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2004 and has discussed a major revamp to the historic Graceland site for years.

But after the company confirmed it was in talks with a prospective buyer in March, continued dedication to improving the area began to seem only a distant possibility.

Sillerman recently met with the Memphis City Council, chamber of commerce and officials from Graceland, and attempted to assuage the city’s worries about the project, according to the Commercial Appeal.

“They should get out of their chairs and go to Graceland five or six times now and five or six times again during the year so they can say they remember it before we turned it into the spectacular that it is going to be,” Sillerman said.

While discussions at the meeting reportedly included improving Elvis Presley Boulevard next to Graceland and redeveloping the neighborhoods bordering the site, CKX has yet to release specific plans for the revamp.

City council chair Harold Collins told the Appeal that despite the lack of details, Sillerman reaffirmed his commitment to the development during the meeting.

“This is a project that’s going to be a massive undertaking,” Collins said. “It’s important that before it’s unveiled, the community gets to share in the presentation of the project. It’s important the Mr. Sillerman understands that this is a high level of people he’s going to be talking to when he unveils his plan.”

A meeting with city engineers to present preliminary project information is scheduled April 26.