Bass Pro taking over the Pryamid in Memphis

[Danoinark]

I had heard this was going to happen.

From its Web Site

The Memphis Pyramid, one of America's best known icons, will now be home to Bass Pro Shops, one of America's best known outdoor retailers.

Millions of people used to come to the 32 story, stainless steel Pyramid to see basketball games and attend concerts. In the near future, millions will come again but this time they will enter the glass doors of the Pyramid and be greeted by a huge Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World retail store, restaurant, aquarium, waterfall, and other water features as well as a yet to be decided hotel and museum. Outside, plans are for a marina on the banks of the mighty Mississippi.

Preliminary design concepts are still being formulated but include the possibilities of reactivating the observation tower at the top of the Pyramid, utilization of the giant scoreboard for customers to view NASCAR coverage and outdoor videos, and an education/performance center that could be used for community events and concerts.

The project will be a regional destination with high entertainment features for everyone to enjoy and will create very significant public interest once again to this area of Memphis as well as the entire region.

"It is with considerable excitement that the City of Memphis looks forward to working with Bass Pro Shops as potential new tenants of the Pyramid," stated Mayor Willie W. Herenton. "Bass Pro Shops has an award winning concept and proven track record for excellence in providing a unique, educational and entertaining retail experience which will appeal not only to sports enthusiasts but will give tourist another reason to come to Memphis and our citizens another reason to enjoy our downtown area."

Bass Pro Shops unique, award-winning, outdoor stores are known for combining retail with entertainment, conservation and outdoor education.

"Bass Pro Shops is the perfect compliment to the business development we are experiencing in the downtown, uptown area," commented Robert Lipscomb, CFO, City of Memphis. "Our partnership with the highly respected and world renowned Bass Pro Shops ensures a strong foundation to expand our economic development to benefit the city and attract other businesses."

"This project will be to unlike anything we have ever done," stated Bass Pro Shops President Jim Hagale. "It is a tremendously exciting opportunity for our company and allows us to feature unique components not seen in any of our other stores while at the same time paying tribute to the wonderful outdoor heritage of this region."

Starting with just 8 feet of retail space in a small store in Springfield, Missouri back in 1971, Bass Pro Shops began by offering a selection of the latest gear from the fledgling bass tournament fishing trail. Today, the name Bass Pro Shops is world renown. Named the #1 outdoor retailer in America by Sporting Goods Business Magazine, the company has won numerous awards for their innovative store designs.

Bass Pro Shops stores are much more than just a retail store. The sights and sounds of the outdoors are brought indoors through museum-quality wildlife dioramas, huge murals and chandeliers depicting outdoor scenes, massive log and rock work, waterfalls, water features, and aquariums stocked with native fish species. The attention to the finest detail from wildlife tracks in the concrete, to wildlife carvings on logs and rafters is what helps add to the uniqueness of a Bass Pro Shops store.

A local theme can be felt throughout all Bass Pro Shops stores with use of artifacts and memorabilia from the area as well as historic photos of local outdoor enthusiasts that pay tribute to the great outdoor heritage of the region. Laser galleries, climbing walls, archery ranges, NASCAR shops and more add to the family entertainment.

The store will also include an expansive boat showroom featuring a complete selection of Tracker, Nitro and Tahoe boats built by Tracker Marine Group- the world's largest manufacturer of fishing boats.

Known as a very conservation-minded company, Bass Pro Shops provides major support to national and local organizations for their conservation projects and has received more awards for their conservation efforts than any other outdoor retailer in America.

Outdoor education is also a key component to Bass Pro Shops strong commitment to our natural resources and the sportsmen and sportswomen who enjoy them. Weekly free outdoor skills workshops are offered at all stores for kids, women, novice adults and families. It is also not unusual to see various groups, including Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, as well as school and church groups, and others on field trips to Bass Pro Shops stores to learn about the great outdoors in the comfort of the great indoors of Bass Pro Shops.

More than just a fishing and hunting store, Bass Pro Shops will also offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more. A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.

Known for their great customer service, Bass Pro Shops is expected to hire approximately 300-400 passionate outdoor enthusiasts from the area

[Terry Beeson]

Yep... they had the "plans" for that in the Jonesboro and Memphis papers over a year ago, but I think there was a "hitch in their get-along" that has been resolved. They just as well do something with it... Alltel right beside Beale Street has taken anything done formerly in the Pyramid... It was big, ugly, and the acoustics were horrible anyway...

Can't wait to see the giant fishing rod sticking out of the side of the building and into the Mississippi River....

[Don]

Starting with just 8 feet of retail space in a small store in Springfield, Missouri back in 1971, Bass Pro Shops began by offering a selection of the latest gear from the fledgling bass tournament fishing trail. Today, the name Bass Pro Shops is world renown. Named the #1 outdoor retailer in America by Sporting Goods Business Magazine, the company has won numerous awards for their innovative store designs.

I remenber my first experience with Bass Pro.

I was age 12 in 1974 when we moved to the Ozarks. I was catching alot of bass in our farm pond and I needed some "killer" plastic worms.

Bass Pro was nothing but one aisle of fishing tackle for sale at the back of a Brown Derby liquor store. After begging his leg off, my father took me there one day. I remember I purchased a package of Mann's red jelly worms with a pack of weedless hooks with a weedguard on them. But most important, I bought a pack of natural color "Creme" brand of plastic worms that already had the hooks in them. They worked great. As much as I grump about giant retail Bass Pro these days, I still find myself there way too much.

Don

You think Taney is crowded in October? I'm glad they named it Bass Pro instead of Trout Pro. If you don't agree, just ask their brother, former presidential candidate Ross Pro.

Don

[Terry Beeson]

...Bass Pro was nothing but one aisle of fishing tackle for sale at the back of a Brown Derby liquor store. After begging his leg off, my father took me there one day. I remember I purchased a package of Mann's red jelly worms with a pack of weedless hooks with a weedguard on them. But most important, I bought a pack of natural color "Creme" brand of plastic worms that already had the hooks in them. They worked great...

SURE you wanted to go there and buy fishin' stuff... SURRRRRE you did...

"Ross Pro..."

Now that there is funny I don't care who you are... Forgive me Lord and be with the Pygmies down there in New Guinea, Amen....