Neat 3D model of interior of the Pyramid Bass Pro.

[chittlins]

This shows how the hotel fits into the plans.

[Swoosh]

I'm sorry... what is the point of all of this.
Do they really think that it will be a tourist destination?  Seriously?

[tiffanylynnt]

That is VERY cool. I would love to stay there! But I kinda agree with Swoosh...

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

Im confused.....is Bass Pro in Springfield doing this? And why? While its a cool store, it is not a place to stay over night. How strange. And the pyramid theme is way off. It just does not match outdoors theme they are currently running with....

[Gilligan]

Isn't this for the next Bass Pro?  Somewhere south?  I think I read it's in Tennessee.  I agree with Swoosh - it wouldn't be a destination for me, either.  The Springfield store is great, IMO.

[chittlins]

This is a repurposing of The Pyramid Arena in Memphis since the FedEx forum just off of Beale St. made it obsolete. It is Springfield based Bass Pro Shop's project. I'll try to share more info when I'm home.

[chittlins]

The Pyramid is right next door to the Convention Center. The Marriott attached to the convention center is now building a third, 10 story tower. St. Jude is building a new tower and there's plans for a redevelopment of the Pinch District into a retail/entertainment area and that's lodged directly between the Pyramid and St. Jude. Memphis continues to march on in it's redevelopment of downtown. I imagine so of this is tied to the plans for the Pinch which is a bit of a mystery. I know Greg Ericson that has a marketing promotions firm in the Pinch( He started his career at Busch Gardens back in 78) once proposed an indoor theme park is the other alternative to this Bass Pro plan. Here's a concept pic of that:




Memphis is two interchanges away on each end to have I-22 extended from Birmingham and Future I-69 construction is progressing in West Tennessee.

[Junior]

There is a lot to see and do at Memphis. The good outweighs the bad. Glad to see Pro Bass Shops is doing something with the Pyramid. I remember at one time Dick Clark was thinking about making the Pyramid home to his American Music Awards Museum. I remember seeing several great concerts at the Pyramid over the years, including Garth Brooks, Elton John, Hank Williams, Jr., and others. It sure did not last long as a sports venue.

[chittlins]

There is a lot to see and do at Memphis. The good outweighs the bad. Glad to see Pro Bass Shops is doing something with the Pyramid. I remember at one time Dick Clark was thinking about making the Pyramid home to his American Music Awards Museum. I remember seeing several great concerts at the Pyramid over the years, including Garth Brooks, Elton John, Hank Williams, Jr., and others. It sure did not last long as a sports venue.

The pyramid was cavernous. The acoustics were terrible. If you were 6 foot or taller, the seating was cramped. I went to dozens of events there. GnR, Van Hagar, Kiss(firstly tour back with the makeup) The Dead and on and on. The best concert venue in Memphis is the amplitheater on Mud Island. It's only drawback is its size at a little over 5,000.  9,500 would have been more ideal. I've only been to one outdoor venue that was better and that's Red Rock. The river museum at Mud Island needs a revamp but the concept is there. With modern day tech, it something really be something. A Disney like Soarin attraction featuring the river would be very cool. The riverwalk is very cool and shouldn't be wasted but there's room for addition attractions there that would help it's drawing power.

[chittlins]

There is a lot to see and do at Memphis. The good outweighs the bad. Glad to see Pro Bass Shops is doing something with the Pyramid. I remember at one time Dick Clark was thinking about making the Pyramid home to his American Music Awards Museum. I remember seeing several great concerts at the Pyramid over the years, including Garth Brooks, Elton John, Hank Williams, Jr., and others. It sure did not last long as a sports venue.

Have you been the the Stax museum? The City of Memphis along with the company that manages Graceland is work a big overhaul of the area around it as well.

[Junior]

Have never been to Stax, but that is because they rebuilt it since I moved from the Delta Region. I'd love to go see it, and the new stuff around Memphis. Graceland is supposed to be in the midst of a giant revamp, getting rid of some of the old attractions from the early 1980s. The neighborhood around Elvis' old house has gotten NASTY and DANGEROUS. I never heard of someone right on the Graceland property being assaulted, but the revamp there should push the bad guys back a distance further. I hope the changes around Stax and good, with shopping and other attractions. Beale Street did a good job to revamp several years ago, and that was always a fun place with clubs and restaurants that I enjoyed.

[chittlins]

Have never been to Stax, but that is because they rebuilt it since I moved from the Delta Region. I'd love to go see it, and the new stuff around Memphis. Graceland is supposed to be in the midst of a giant revamp, getting rid of some of the old attractions from the early 1980s. The neighborhood around Elvis' old house has gotten NASTY and DANGEROUS. I never heard of someone right on the Graceland property being assaulted, but the revamp there should push the bad guys back a distance further. I hope the changes around Stax and good, with shopping and other attractions. Beale Street did a good job to revamp several years ago, and that was always a fun place with clubs and restaurants that I enjoyed.

http://www.soulsvillefoundation.org/

The Stax house band was Booker T. and the MGs. Some of their best stuff is just jams without vocals. It's often featured on Dan Akroid's House of Blues radio show. Yes, it's the backing band of the Blues Brothers. We recently lost Steve Cropper. The neat thing about Memphis was back in the 90's you could go to church and listen to a sermon from Al Greene. I would listen to WDIA with an old farm hand named Rufus that drove a tractor for my Grandfather over in Marked Tree.


One of the greatest travesties is Memphis not getting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland, really?

I've wondered what a park like Hard Rock Theme Park would have done in a town where there was some actual connection to music to tie into.  Imagine a gaint wheel with the Sun Studios  label in Neon, a drop tower called the Stax drop, a Rock n Roll express blasting out Elvis and Jerry Lee


If in Memphis, Sun Studio is a must

http://www.sunstudio.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyA075eiz28

[Junior]

Yeah, Al Green was born and initially raised at Forrest City, Arkansas, my old hometown. The county museum houses the doctor's bed that his mother gave birth to him on. Charlie Rich is from Colt, Arkansas, just five miles north of Forrest City, and his gold record for Behind Closed Doors is at the museum, too. Howlin' Wolf briefly had a radio show on the radio station I would later work at, KXJK Forrest City. Carl Perkins, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Conway Twitty all played venues (mostly high school gyms in the 1950s) in my old stomping grounds.
Perkins allegedly wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" at Johnny Cash's suggestion at a high school gym at Parkin, Arkansas. Of course, just south of Forrest City at Helena my old radio buddy, Sunshine Sonny Paine still hosts King Biscuit Time, the oldest blues radio show in the world, at KFFA Radio.

[chittlins]

Yeah, Al Green was born and initially raised at Forrest City, Arkansas, my old hometown. The county museum houses the doctor's bed that his mother gave birth to him on. Charlie Rich is from Colt, Arkansas, just five miles north of Forrest City, and his gold record for Behind Closed Doors is at the museum, too. Howlin' Wolf briefly had a radio show on the radio station I would later work at, KXJK Forrest City. Carl Perkins, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Conway Twitty all played venues (mostly high school gyms in the 1950s) in my old stomping grounds.
Perkins allegedly wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" at Johnny Cash's suggestion at a high school gym at Parkin, Arkansas. Of course, just south of Forrest City at Helena my old radio buddy, Sunshine Sonny Paine still hosts King Biscuit Time, the oldest blues radio show in the world, at KFFA Radio.

Played basketball at that Parkin Gym. No high school in Parkin anymore. Our familiy farm is on Ark 75 between Parkin and Marked Tree on the St. Francis just north of the Poinsett Co. line.

[chittlins]

The plans for the 200+ hotel inside the old arena has been scrapped due to load bearing issues and they now plan on around 80 Cabin like lodge rooms.

I got to thinking about an attraction for the place. I know that one Bass Pro has a rock climbing wall. They should do this here and buy the Adventure Mountain ropes course from Dollywood. That would fit well.