The Commercial Appeal -

The city of Memphis was awarded a $4.8 million grant this morning from the New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Memphis is one of five cities splitting a $24 million grant as part of the Mayors Project, a new government innovation program at the Bloomberg foundation.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the grants this morning.

Memphis' $4.8 million will be used to revive areas of the city cut off by highway construction and approach handgun violence as a public health crisis, according to Mayor A C Wharton.

Other recipients of grants are the mayors of Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans and Louisville, Ky.

All of the mayors chosen are in their first 18 months of their terms in office.

The money will pay the salaries of teams operating outside of city governments, who will help cities carry out and manage their plans with set goals to measure success. The project will also identify groups of cities interested in working together on particular issues to share best practices.

Each city chose two initiatives and will have three years to tackle them. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said his city will use its $3.4 million to create a 311 phone system to improve customer service and to address homelessness and panhandling.

“After we really faced the challenges of getting our fiscal house in order, I wanted to focus on issues that have to do with the quality of life and how people think and feel and experience the city,” Reed said in a telephone interview.

Wharton said the Memphis grant will help attract the intellectual capital he needs to lure investment without angering cash-strapped citizens.

“There has to be a degree of independence from the fiercely competing demands of municipal government,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m having trouble keeping parks open. I’m laying off people here. The unions are suing me. It’s hard to reach into that same kitty and say: ’I want to dream big.’ As good as that may be, that’s just a hard sell.”

“We’ve been on a roll here in Memphis,” Wharton said. “The city is anxious. The people are ready for these big changes. We just haven’t been able to really bring in the talent that we need to envision, develop and actualize these plans and take advantage of the rebirth of spirit that this city is now undergoing.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel aims to cut the amount of time aspiring entrepreneurs wait in line to start a new business, get a permit or obtain a new license, and will focus on significantly reducing energy use.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer wants to partner with the city of Lexington to implement a new regional export strategy and improve public accountability.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu wants to reduce homicides.