Millington officials are asking businesses, entrepreneurs, and community groups to pitch ideas for what could fill the historic Harrold Building once renovations wrap up, opening a formal Request for Interest this week that closes September 29. The city says it envisions the 1911 Oldtown landmark becoming a restaurant, event venue, live entertainment space, family destination, or some combination of food, entertainment, events, and community programming.
The RFI, which opened Tuesday, invites operators, organizations, and creative teams to submit concepts for the building's future use, according to Millington, TN - Municipal Government. Proposals can cover the entire building, individual spaces within it, specific programming ideas, or partnership models, and the city has posted the full RFI, submission requirements, and project details at millingtontn.gov/m/newsflash. Responses are due by September 29.
The building traces back to 1898, when it operated as a grocery on Main Street, and later years saw it known as the Harrold Store before it became the Old Timers Restaurant, according to SaveTheHarrold.com. It sat vacant and deteriorating for nearly a decade before the city intervened, and it now stands as one of Oldtown Millington's most visible historic landmarks at 7922 Leroy Boatwright Street.
From a Class Project to a City Priority
The push to save the building didn't start at city hall — it started in a high school speech class. The Save the Harrold campaign began in 2024 when Millington Central Middle High School students Montanah Caldwell, Mackenzie Murphy, Cortia Hibbler, and Anthony Fry researched the building's history and petitioned city leaders to preserve it rather than let it be demolished, per SaveTheHarrold.com. Their advocacy helped convince officials to acquire the property instead.
That fall, the Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen authorized purchasing the building for $134,778 and committed more than $1 million in total municipal funding toward stabilizing, preserving, and eventually redeveloping it, the site notes. What began as a student project evolved into a full municipal restoration effort, culminating in a $1,397,602 construction contract.
Steel Bones Inside a Century-Old Shell
On March 9, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted Resolution 10-2026, awarding that contract for Bid 2026-2 to Wagner General Contractors to handle interior structural renovations and weather-tight stabilization. Architectural plans from Design Shop call for installing an internal steel frame to brace the historic brick walls while preserving an open interior floorplan, according to the City of Millington, allowing whoever takes over the space flexibility for a custom build-out. Construction continues today to preserve and stabilize the structure ahead of the RFI response deadline.
City Manager Frankie Dakin, who oversees Millington's $85 million municipal operations, has led the public-private outreach aimed at moving the building from city-funded stabilization into private commercial use, per The Talk Chamber. The stated municipal goal is community placemaking, not housing city staff offices.
A Growth Story Four Miles From the Navy Base
City planners are framing the Harrold Building's location as a strategic asset. It sits roughly four miles from Naval Support Activity Mid-South, one of Shelby County's largest employers with more than 7,500 personnel, and about three miles from USA Stadium — proximity officials hope will help capture spending from nearby naval personnel and sports traffic, per the city.
Millington, with roughly 12,000 residents, markets itself as Shelby County's fastest-growing municipality, citing U.S. Highway 51 traffic averaging 30,000 vehicles daily and utility infrastructure built to handle double the current population. Any operator weighing a proposal will have to balance that growth story against the capital needed to finish out a historic shell space before the RFI window closes.
The rollout also lands amid some administrative turnover at city hall. Millington's Planning and Infrastructure Director resigned on August 15, just three days before the RFI was released, prompting the city to work with the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service to find a successor. City leadership has said active infrastructure projects, including the Harrold Building work, will proceed without interruption.
Part of a Broader Downtown Push
The RFI also arrives against a backdrop of steady city finances. In June, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved Ordinance 2026-11 for the fiscal year 2027 budget, keeping property tax rates flat while increasing spending on capital projects, downtown upgrades, and city staff pay — a move Hoodline previously reported supports continued investment in Oldtown redevelopment.
City officials describe the Harrold Building project as a driver of economic activity and continued revitalization for Oldtown Millington. Interested operators, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to review the full RFI and submission requirements before the September 29 deadline.
