Graceland surrounds finally being revamped.

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The City of Memphis is finally keeping good on its promise to spruce up "The King's" boulevard. City council chairman Harold Collins said city engineers are working on blueprints to revamp Elvis Presley Boulevard.

Graceland executives decided back in 2006, the mansion and surrounding area needed a makeover. They estimated it would cost $250M, but the city needed convincing. Now, the councilman who oversees that Whitehaven district said all of his colleagues are on board.

No signs properly point towards the Elvis Presley mansion, a complaint shared by many who travel this popular strip in the city's Whitehaven neighborhood. City councilman Harold Collins, who represents the district, said get ready for a facelift.

"This is the gateway to Elvis Presley's mansion, but also the gateway to a great neighborhood and a great community and so at the end of the day, we're going to make sure it reflects that," said Collins.
 
Collins said, "We finally got the funding to do it, we finally got it prioritized, and as you can see, it's something that's well needed."
The total cost for the renovations is expected to cost $46.6M.

The enhancements will improve the utility wiring and poles, streets, and sidewalks. Collins said the area will also be lined with trees and streetlights.

"We know that Graceland Enterprises is about ready to make a move, and so we want to be ready," said Collins.

Since 2006, executives at Graceland have talked about revamping the mansion and the area surrounding it. They were expected to spend $250M. Right now, EPE isn't saying much about the project or its progress.

Collins expects the project to take anywhere from 2 to 3 years before it is entirely complete.

_{Source: elvisinfonet.com / EpGold}