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NASHVILLE — Thursday the state unanimously approved the city’s request for a tourism development zone around Graceland.

Now the measure is in the hands of the Memphis City Council, which will have to approve of a 5 percent tax surcharge being added to all purchases in the zone to help pay for the planned improvements.

Those improvements are estimated to cost nearly $135 million dollars.

According to James McLaren, Jr, the attorney for the project, getting the ordinance will take three readings.

One was held last Tuesday.

Construction of a new hotel and entertainment center have already approved and will begin construction soon.

The $95-million hotel will be on the mansion side of Elvis Presley Boulevard.

The entertainment complex across the street will be an additional $30 to $40-million investment.

In the meantime, the city and state are spending roughly $43-million on various projects to spruce up Elvis Presley before those projects can be finished in the fall of 2016.