Let the demolition begin!

All the Elvis you can take


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Scooby

Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Tue May 09, 2017 11:08 pm

Adios Graceland Plaza! Demolition began today and much of it is already knocked down and cleared off. Here are some pics from today. This has been decades in the works! :)
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Mountain Mist
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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Mountain Mist » Tue May 09, 2017 11:25 pm

Thanks, Scooby.

:D :D :D :D

Bit sad, though.

:(



Topic author
Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Wed May 10, 2017 1:43 am

Mountain Mist wrote:Thanks, Scooby.

:D :D :D :D

Bit sad, though.

:(


I get the sad part because of the sentimental value it had to many older fans who had gone there many times over the years. However, that place was already far past its time and looked embarassing to the iconic legacy of Elvis. He deserved way more than what they previsouly had to offer with the plaza. It would have been nicer if they had an actual museum of his life there to present his story. But all they had was cheap ripoff exhibits. The buildings were once a bunch of retail stores cobbled together to create a strip mall and Elvis hated that thing being across from his home. Then about 5 years after he died EPE bought the shops and renovated them into the Gracelad plaza. Now they are going to green space that aera with trees and park setting the way Elvis would have wanted it. The makeover will now gain a lot more appreciation and respect for Elvis from locals and for those who see him as a joke when passing by.



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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Mountain Mist » Wed May 10, 2017 3:23 am

Scooby wrote:
Mountain Mist wrote:Thanks, Scooby.

:D :D :D :D

Bit sad, though.

:(


I get the sad part because of the sentimental value it had to many older fans who had gone there many times over the years. However, that place was already far past its time and looked embarassing to the iconic legacy of Elvis. He deserved way more than what they previsouly had to offer with the plaza. It would have been nicer if they had an actual museum of his life there to present his story. But all they had was cheap ripoff exhibits. The buildings were once a bunch of retail stores cobbled together to create a strip mall and Elvis hated that thing being across from his home. Then about 5 years after he died EPE bought the shops and renovated them into the Gracelad plaza. Now they are going to green space that aera with trees and park setting the way Elvis would have wanted it. The makeover will now gain a lot more appreciation and respect for Elvis from locals and for those who see him as a joke when passing by.



Ha, that is me! LOL - sentimental, lol.

I agree, a lovely green space will add some class too, very nice to hear.



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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Rickeap » Wed May 10, 2017 6:09 am

thanks for the pics, though it is a bit sad


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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby elvisblogmeister » Thu May 11, 2017 1:14 am

Scooby: I would like to do an ElvisBlog post on the demolition of Graceland Plaza. Could you tell me where you found these pictures? I Googled and found none. Thanks, Phil Arnold
www.ElvisBlog.com



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Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Thu May 11, 2017 2:44 am

elvisblogmeister wrote:Scooby: I would like to do an ElvisBlog post on the demolition of Graceland Plaza. Could you tell me where you found these pictures? I Googled and found none. Thanks, Phil Arnold


I got them from Facebook.


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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby OnStage55 » Sat May 13, 2017 2:46 am

I've been to Graceland many times over the years, and always enjoyed hanging around the Elvis Mall, so seeing this was a bit depressing. :(
At some point, i will be going back to Memphis and will go to the New Entertainment Complex, but it won't have the same inviting freedom.
And i highly dought i'll go into it more than one time when i am there, as i did multiple times with the old Mall.

Demolition at the 2:30 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v72g2PbcScc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ipwU-EDP8



Topic author
Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Sat May 13, 2017 5:05 pm

OnStage55 wrote:I've been to Graceland many times over the years, and always enjoyed hanging around the Elvis Mall, so seeing this was a bit depressing. :(
At some point, i will be going back to Memphis and will go to the New Entertainment Complex, but it won't have the same inviting freedom.
And i highly dought i'll go into it more than one time when i am there, as i did multiple times with the old Mall.

Demolition at the 2:30 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v72g2PbcScc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ipwU-EDP8


That piano played song on that 2nd video is sad. I get it though as it is meant to be. However, I look at it as a new beginning of mroe to do and see that previously. Interesting though. I had a thought while watching that last video of everything clsoed down. What if that had been done because nobody cared about Elvis anymore? We as fans need to be thankful for what God has given us in Elvis both then and today.

As for you not having the same freedom to go about the new complex. You'll still have that and in a safer environment. I was told that the protesters during Elvis week last year caused EPE to make it closed off from the public and made it a pay-to-enter complex. That way no terrorists can just walk up with a bomb in one of the museums or thugs can go up there and protest or vandalise private property. The plaza was opened to the public and was vulnerable which allowed them to walk onto the gorunds at will and protest. They cannot do that now at the new complex without breaking the law and risk going to jail.


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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby elvisblogmeister » Sat May 13, 2017 8:15 pm

Scooby wrote:
elvisblogmeister wrote:Scooby: I would like to do an ElvisBlog post on the demolition of Graceland Plaza. Could you tell me where you found these pictures? I Googled and found none. Thanks, Phil Arnold


I got them from Facebook.



Thanks, Scooby. I found them and two other sources, and put them together in a great blog post.' Check it out.

http://www.elvisblog.net/2017/05/13/say ... and-plaza/
www.ElvisBlog.com



Topic author
Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Tue May 16, 2017 11:21 pm

Today they completed the plaza demolition. So strange seeing it all gone now. Although it was an eye sore for too long. They had originally planned to keep the big building where the cars were, but now I don't know if it's staying or going. I would assume Heartbreak Hotel and Graceland Crossing will be next to go before Elvis Week so they'll have extra parking.

Also I noticed that there's no way to tour the planes right now since they tore down the planes entrance area. While they are at it they need to repaint those planes and put a canopy over them to protect them from rotting away.



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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Mountain Mist » Tue May 16, 2017 11:23 pm

Scooby wrote:Today they completed the plaza demolition. So strange seeing it all gone now. Although it was an eye sore for too long. They had originally planned to keep the big building where the cars were, but now I don't know if it's staying or going. I would assume Heartbreak Hotel and Graceland Crossing will be next to go before Elvis Week so they'll have extra parking.

Also I noticed that there's no way to tour the planes right now since they tore down the planes entrance area. While they are at it they need to repaint those planes and put a canopy over them to protect them from rotting away.


Thanks for the updates Scooby, tis really appreciated.

:D



Topic author
Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Tue May 16, 2017 11:30 pm

Mountain Mist wrote:
Scooby wrote:Today they completed the plaza demolition. So strange seeing it all gone now. Although it was an eye sore for too long. They had originally planned to keep the big building where the cars were, but now I don't know if it's staying or going. I would assume Heartbreak Hotel and Graceland Crossing will be next to go before Elvis Week so they'll have extra parking.

Also I noticed that there's no way to tour the planes right now since they tore down the planes entrance area. While they are at it they need to repaint those planes and put a canopy over them to protect them from rotting away.


Thanks for the updates Scooby, tis really appreciated.

:D


No problem.



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Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Matt Helm » Sat May 20, 2017 4:45 pm

Life goes on, what the heck scooby...but thx for the pics, btw WHAT IS MEMPHIS and GRACELAND WITHOUT ELVIS...nothing, so let the $ comin' in...and i was 1980, 2011 and 2014...and it was the same old story, btw 1980 was the coolest trip, no way to see the mansion/house inside...BUT at the Shops a bunch of VINYL Bootleg Albums and some nice foreign RCA pressings, all were still sealed...and a nice price too,...good old days long ago, but the SUN Studio was filled with car tire... :roll: no joke pal, Matt



Topic author
Scooby

Re: Let the demolition begin!

Postby Scooby » Sun May 21, 2017 5:31 pm

The complex is completely demolisheed and removed from the grounds as if it were never there! All that is left is the car museum building, and that looks to be staying for storage purposes for the time being. They should use it for Elvis Week instead of a damn tent. :roll: That's a spacious 10,000 sf AC building! Here's a photo taken yesterday of the area.
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