When passengers get off the Amtrak at Union Station in Chicago, they have their pick of restaurants, coffee shops and bars. In Memphis, there may be a self-serve water cooler or coffee pot in the corner.
But a partnership between the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) and the private sector is bringing a big-city concept to South Main.
Investment in public transit typically has a return on investment of 4 to 1, said interim MATA CEO Gary Rosenfeld. For every $1 a city invests in public transit,…