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click to enlarge Edge Alley is planned for 600 Monroe, next to High Cotton Brewing.

click to enlarge Here's what 600 Monroe looks like today.

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click to enlarge The former graduate school for the Memphis College of Art will soon become a boutique hotel.

Work will begin soon on three Downtown projects that will breathe even more life into the surging district.Developers are working now to transform a former chrome plating shop in the Edge District into a space for a cafe, coffee roaster, community space, and a spot for a curated group of micro-retailers (more on that below).Chef and restaurant consultant Timothy Barker and Phil Massey, one of the owners of High Cotton Brewing, purchased 600 Monroe, a spot adjacent to High Cotton. The cafe and coffee concept will bring dining back to that part of the Edge.The developers are now issuing calls to local makers, artisans, and entrepreneurs to to sell their wares on about 1,000 square feet of space in the front of the building. Four locals will be selected for the spot. Those interested can apply online for a shot at one of the bays A building permit was pulled Wednesday for 409 South Main, the site of the proposed food hall called South Main Market.The permit for renovations to the building was valued at more than $302,000 and covers 4,903 square feet. Permits totaling around $1 million have already been executed for the project, which is expected to cost a total of $1.5 million, according to the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC).The website for the hall still simply says “coming in 2017.” Though, developers have said the hall would be on the buildings first floor and draw about 14 vendors.Here’s how the DMC described the project:“Picture a single destination where delicious smells and sights converge on you at the threshold. A hub where you can sit down to a delicious plate of tacos, while your friends enjoy steaming bowls of ramen, plates of succulent rotisserie chicken or samplers of distinct cheeses and wine pairings.Our vendors will also be the perfect pick-up partners for fresh flowers, a delicious dinner or a locally-made hostess gift.”Work should begin soon on a plan to turn the former Memphis College of Art (MCA) building at 477 South Main into a 66-room boutique hotel.California-based Wessman Development pulled at permit Wednesday for renovations totaling more than $5.3 million for the project.MCA renovated the nearly 5,000 square-foot building into a graduate school in 2010 in a $2.6 million project. The once-dormant building housed the school, the Hyde Gallery, which featured work of students and faculty, and a gift store, which featured pieces made by students.