Cocktails, table tennis, ice cream coming to Midtown's Railgarten

A new kind of experience for dining and entertainment is coming down the tracks to Midtown.

Railgarten will offer four types of activities spread among three buildings and the grounds outside in a concept similar to Loflin Yard, a recently opened bar near Downtown with a large outdoor seating area.

Construction continues in Midtown near the northeast corner of Central and Cooper on property that borders the apparent inspiration for its theme: a railroad.

In what she described as a "campus-like venue,'' project land planner Brenda Solomito Basar said:

• The building at 2158 Central — formerly Gary's Antiques — will be a diner with an ice cream shop
• The building next door at 2156 Central will house a bar, live music and table tennis 
• A building behind at 2164 Central will be a smaller cocktail bar
• And the family-oriented outside areas will offer volleyball and other outdoor games like corn hole.

"The whole property has been branded Railgarten,'' said Solomito of Solomito Land Planning. "It's all under one ownership with the ability to give you different experiences at each venue.''

The diner and ice cream parlor will have different hours of operation than the buildings with the bars and live music.

The owner of the business is staying anonymous for now. Solomito declined to identify her client, saying, "I think they are keeping it quiet until after it opens.'' Attorney Michael Futhey was the applicant for the special permit granted to allow a bar/restaurant.

Earlier this week, the owners avoided being given a courtesy citation for a zoning  issue. The 1.3 acres has split zoning: The front is zoned commercial and the back is zoned for employment, a more industrial designation.

Construction crews have stacked several intermodal cargo containers in the back yard — in the employment zoning — in a move that appears to burnish the rail theme. The metal containers support signs like "Roller Skate For Health'' and provide shelter for activities.

However, using the metal structures as part of the business would be a zoning violation even though the containers may be in the more industrial area, Josh Whitehead told The Commercial Appeal. He's planning director for Memphis and Shelby County.

No metal containers were part of the site plan submitted for approval to the Land Use Control Board in January.

The only way the metal containers would be allowed is if they are being temporarily used as construction storage, Whitehead said in an email.

Solomito met with Whitehead and planner Brian Bacchus on Thursday. "She has been made aware that metal containers are not permitted at this site without approval by the Board of Adjustment,'' Whitehead said. "Given that some of the containers may be associated with the construction of the site, we will not request a courtesy citation be issued at this point.''

Asked if Railgarten plans to keep the containers permanently, Solomito told The Commercial Appeal, "Not at this time.''

Railgarten's Facebook page features a rendering which shows the two front buildings and what looks like cargo containers behind them.

Zoning code allows such container buildings there only through a conditional use permit, Whitehead said. "Through that process, an applicant could present that the containers would be designed in a particular way,'' he said in an email. "The Board of Adjustment, in turn, could condition its approval on such a particular design.''