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Adams and Reese attorney James McLaren spoke with Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine for an article, “The King’s Castle: James McLaren on Overseeing the Expansion of Graceland.”
The article discusses McLaren’s economic development work through the expansion of Graceland, which Elvis Presley once called home. McLaren works with client Elvis Presley Enterprises on this project.
“Graceland is one of the most important tourist attractions, if not the most important tourist attraction, in the state of Tennessee,” says McLaren, of the second-most visited house in the United States—after the White House. Half a million people visit Graceland every year.
McLaren has been involved in numerous major economic development projects in the Memphis area, but this one, he says, has reinvigorated an entire area nearby.
“I was an Elvis fan. Getting to work on this project at Graceland really means something. … He was the catalytic person in changing music. Blues and rock ’n’ roll and soul all came out of here — Memphis,” said McLaren. “I’ve had the privilege of being involved in most of the largest economic development projects in Memphis over the last 30 years. Graceland was a chance to do something that not only benefits the community as a whole, but it has been catalytic in the redevelopment of the Whitehaven neighborhood.”
McLaren got the Graceland gig on the recommendation of his partner in Nashville, Dale Allen, who has done work for Elvis Presley Enterprises for a number of years. “I structured the incentive package and the financing for the project, and worked with Elvis Presley Enterprises to get all of the approvals that were required for the incentives and closed the financing of the different phases of the project,” says McLaren.
“The original approval was on three phases,” he adds. “The first was construction of an archive studio behind the mansion; a small project, approximately $1 million. The second phase was construction of a 450-room, four-star hotel located on the campus just north of the mansion. Phase three was construction of 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of retail pre-function space, museum space, and a big soundstage.”