The Art Project is moving its paints and brushes to Stomping Grounds, a Midtown property which is turning into something of a multi-tenant operation.

Wild Beet Salad Co. opened at the front of the property this year. The rest of the 1.4 acres is a busy construction site as it adds playgrounds, parking, beverage stations and event spaces with a target opening date of Sept. 1, also known as 901 Day.

“We want it to be a hub for families and everyone with children in their lives,” said Andrew Mathewes, who co-owns Stomping Grounds with Lindsey Shanmugasundaram.

Midtown’s Stomping Grounds aims for 901 Day opening

Katherine Riederer and Anna Vergos Blair started The Art Space more than a decade ago. Blair had two children under 3 years old while Riederer was pregnant with her son. Blair would bring her kids to Riederer’s house to do art because she had an art background.

“It was glitter, paint and all the messy things that parents want kids to do but don’t want the mess in their house,” Riederer said.

Their business is focused on letting kids get creative without structure.

“They have these very planned-out schedules and planned-out spaces they play in, and we really wanted our space to be something different,” Riederer said.

They opened in Overton Square in June 2014 but plan to move into their new space in October.

From left: Kelcie Nollner, Andrew Mathewes, Lindsey Shaugasundaram, Barry Maynard and Emily Vanasek pose for a portrait June 18 at Wild Beet Salad Co.'s location inside the new Stomping Grounds project in Midtown. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“We’ve loved our time at Overton Square, but it was just time for a change,” Blair said. “Our kids have kind of grown up in that space, but I think it’s also kind of good for us to dream up what our project needs to be and where it needs to go.”

They knew Mathewes because he was a member of The Art Project and brought his children there.

“When the opportunity came up, it seemed like a good fit,” Riederer said. “This space is a little smaller than our current studio, but it also has a patio area where we can bring art outside.”

There is a lot of activity on the site at at 2166 Central Ave.

The former sand volleyball courts have been cleared and will soon be a new playground area. The intermodal containers are gone, and a new entrance at the back of the property is being built. The property currently has 23 parking spaces, but Walker General Contactors will significantly expand that.

Kelcie Nollner walks through Wild Beet Salad Co.'s location inside the new Stomping Grounds project in Midtown on June 18. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“We’ll probably have the ability to more than triple the number of families that can be here on a packed Saturday morning,” Mathewes said.

Barry Maynard, Frank Dyer III and Emily Vanasek with Gill Properties brokered the leases for The Art Project.

“It’s another piece that helps shape Stomping Grounds into a destination the community can enjoy for years to come,” Vanasek said.

This broker group also brokered the addition of Wild Beet and the initial Stomping Grounds deal. They could also represent Stomping Grounds on the acquisition of the property.

“The Art Project is a great addition to Stomping Grounds because it gives families—and anyone with kids in their lives—another reason to spend time there,” Maynard said.

Stomping Grounds is waiting for its 16-foot tall play structure for the main building. That space will have a self-serve tap wall with 21 taps downstairs and six taps upstairs.

They are also looking at roll-around units from Pour My Bev, the company that provided the tap wall.

Kelcie Nollner started Wild Beet in 2014 and moved to the new 3,000-square-foot space in January. She employs 14 people currently but expects to hire more.

Wild Beet Salad Co. opened at the front of Stomping Grounds this year. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“We’re doing great, and I feel like Midtown has really accepted us,” Molner said.

They’ve added a dedicated kid’s menu in anticipation of Stomping Ground’s opening and plan to open for breakfast at some point. That fits with the property’s overall plan.

“Everything we do will be open from breakfast to bedtime,” Mathews said. “From the perspective of a parent, there are so many great places around town to take your kid, but by the time anything opens, your child has been awake for three hours and it’s 105 degrees outside. So we’re really trying to solve for that whether it’s hot, cold, rainy or pretty outside.”

Mathewes decided Stomping Grounds could use a separate food component after seeing a concept in Colorado where an adapted play area was adjacent to a food hall.

“I was like ‘This is the perfect way to do it,’” he said. “It’s an amenity, but you’re not running it. Let’s find someone awesome to do it who already does it.”

“We want it to be a hub for families and everyone with children in their lives,” said Andrew Mathewes, who co-owns Stomping Grounds with Lindsey Shanmugasundaram. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

The property will have QR codes on the tables so you can order your food anywhere on site.

Shanmugasundaram, who has been an early-childhood educator for years, will plan events from prenatal-yoga classes to Mahjong tournaments.

They will also bring in other companies, like pop up vendors who sell kid’s clothing.

“We’re trying to bring other creators and businesses into what we’re doing here,” Mathewes said. “We want it to be a place where every time you come it’s different and varied.”