Memphis Roller Derby relocation from the Pipkin Building

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

What: Memphis Parks is moving Memphis Roller Derby out of the Pipkin Building and offering community centers and the Memphis Sports and Event Center instead (District 4, Super District 9).
Where it stands: at the 10/20/2026 committee Parks laid out costs and subsidies for practices and bouts; the full council then approved the Pipkin lease to a pickleball operator that would displace derby, see Bluff City Pickleball lease of the Pipkin Building.
Next: roller derby decides which venues to use; Parks plans scrimmages at the community centers.

Davis Community Center: tier-one rental $150 per hour; roller derby has used about 210 practice hours a year, or $31,500 unsubsidized. At the $42.86 per hour subsidized rate (the chair had asked that the price stay the same) the cost is about $9,000 a year, a 71% subsidy.
Pipkin Building weekday nonprofit rate: $281.25 per hour, about $59,000 a year; derby had been paying about $42.86 per hour, an 84% subsidy.

Davis or Gaston community centers (Orange Mound a possible third), Saturday afternoon or evening: about $6,000 for four bouts, roughly $7,560 with security.
Memphis Sports and Event Center: about $20,000 for four bouts unsubsidized; it offered a 50% subsidy (about $10,000) plus optional security; a license agreement was sent to the derby the day before. Peak months March to June may conflict.
Pipkin Building comparison: base rate about $2,125 per bout, about $8,500 for four, roughly $12,900 with security and fees.

Is there extra expense to Parks? Yes for part-time staffing at community centers, though the hourly rate recovers part of it; the weekend bout rate is the for-profit rate because spectators pay admission.

Roller derby skaters and supporters were among those speaking against the Pipkin lease on 10/20/2026. One skater said the league would like city support to grow, including a junior league, and objected to being moved whenever other events book the building.
Bolden repeated the Parks position: derby has had about an 84 percent subsidy at the Pipkin ($42.86 an hour against the $281 nonprofit weekday rate), will keep that rate at community centers and can host weekend bouts at the Memphis Sports and Event Center at a 50 percent subsidy.

About 9 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - City Council Committees	9

2026-10-20 - Memphis City Council — Derby members spoke against the Pipkin lease; the council approved the lease anyway (see the pickleball lease page).
2026-10-20 - City Council Committees — Parks presented replacement venues and subsidized rates; the earlier favorable-recommendation vote stood.
2026-10-08 - Memphis City Council — On 10/8/2026 Green asked for derby's status before the Pipkin lease vote; Parks Director Bolden said derby has a Davis Community Center permit through 2027 and talks continue on the Memphis Sports and Events Center. Warren said Parks was asked to report at each meeting until it is resolved.
2026-10-06 - City Council Committees - Interim space offered at the Davis Community Center; agreement to return in two weeks.
2026-09-15 - City Council Committees - Members stressed protecting displaced derby users during the pickleball lease discussion.