Law school and Bass Pro

[sleepy]

The tit for tat comparison between the two cities goes both ways--Nashville caricatures Memphis as a ghetto town, and Memphis caricatures Nashville as a hillbilly town. I've said this before---if you took someone from most places in the US outside the South and plopped them down in either city, they wouldn't know which town they were in and couldn't tell much difference even if they did know.

[Psalm 91]

and Memphis caricatures Nashville as a hillbilly town.

Not really, at least to minorities - who see Nashville being better than Memphis somewhat (mainly because of the historical black colleges).

[Clobber]

I like it! The fish shaped canopy I could do without, but everything else sounds terrific! Opening up the top of the Pyramid for tourists/customers is a superb idea!

This IMO is the best possible outcome for the Pyramid and the City of Memphis. Everybody wins.

I think there are opportunities BPS is missing to create something iconic, cultural, transcending as well as profitable if this is all there is.

[Hankster]

I see the Bass Pro Shop investment as a tremendous opportunity for both Memphis and Bass Pro as well. This store will outdo their store in Springfield which claims 4 million visitors a year. The location is awesome, the facilty is awesome, and I guarantee people will come in droves to see this store. My guess is that Bass Pro is chomping at the bit to get this done. It can't help but succeed, and Memphis will get debt relief on an empty stadium plus a huge economic shot in the arm! Congratulations, Memphis. This is truly an outstanding development!

[Bears]

I'm somewhat disappointed about some of the external decoration changes, such as the fish canopy and the fishhook inclinator. I guess it could be worse. But a fishhook inclinator is just ridiculous. The canopy is appropriate, I guess. I would just preserve as much consistency in the exterior as possible. The fishhook seems tacky. I hope they make an effort to appeal to minorities.

There is an aquarium component to it, but whether that is educational or to promote the lifestyle and therefore their products, I wouldn't hold out hope for rare species. Given the lifestyle, they coulda added an aviary component to it; not too many museums have both an aquarium and aviary. Regardless, it looks like new construction (the aquarium). I'd be surprised if it was more than two stories tall, which would be miniscule compared to the TN Aquarium.

I think the inclinator would look okay if they place it on a corner of the building and color it nicely.

As long as the fish to the marina isn't to large, I think it would be a nice addition also. Its proabably small so it'll be out of sight from the I-40 bridge.

I think Clobber makes a good point about how the Pyramid should draw from all demographics. Displaying a myriad of cultures will attract more people into the store. Bass Pro has 32 stories to fill and I doubt they have a complete idea on how to do it so I recommend that you send your ideas to the chairman of the Pyramid reuse Committee, Rickey Peete by calling

(901) 278-7464

or email him at

[email protected]

Bass Pro isn't really a hillbilly, redneck store like many precieve it to be. I've been to the one in Opry Mills and I thought it was nice but Memphis' could and should be much better. The one in Nashville is much better than the one in NE Memphis. They pyramid is an iconic building and should become an iconic destination. If this is done right, we won't become the butt of Jeff Foxworthy jokes.

"IF YOU GO TO THE PYRAMIDS AND WONDER WHERE YOU CAN TEST DRIVE THE BOATS....YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK!!!"

Sadly, now we have to deal with the Grizzlies threatening to move. Hopefully they accept Alltel Arena as a backup.

[hgupta]

Sadly, now we have to deal with the Grizzlies threatening to move. Hopefully they accept Alltel Arena as a backup.

I haven't seen anything about this...can you point me towards some more information or your source?

[sleepy]

I haven't seen anything about this...can you point me towards some more information or your source?

Yeah, that was a strange comment. There's absolutely nothing in the media about any mention of their leaving.

[Bears]

I guess you all missed my post earlier. No problem.

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=4550613&nav=menu93_2

[sleepy]

I guess you all missed my post earlier. No problem.

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=4550613&nav=menu93_2

The story doesn't mention any threat to leave, just that the contract calls for a suitable backup. I don't think the NBA requires cities to have two NBA standard arenas ready at all times. If something takes out FedEx Forum for awhile, I'd say they could go with the Coliseum or DeSoto Convention Center.

[Bears]

The story doesn't mention any threat to leave, just that the contract calls for a suitable backup. I don't think the NBA requires cities to have two NBA standard arenas ready at all times. If something takes out FedEx Forum for awhile, I'd say they could go with the Coliseum or DeSoto Convention Center.

I guess I should've said "they will have the option to leave without penalty" even though its a small chance of them doing so because of an issue like this. I guess its just the pessimist in me

[sleepy]

I guess I should've said "they will have the option to leave without penalty" even though its a small chance of them doing so because of an issue like this. I guess its just the pessimist in me

You'd think the reuse committee would have ironed out that problem before they began negotiations with tenants. Here's hoping the Grizz don't come in and squelch the deal. Of course Baily, the commissioner quoted, has always been against the Grizz. Maybe something's already been worked out that he doesn't know about.

[sleepy]

Not really, at least to minorities - who see Nashville being better than Memphis somewhat (mainly because of the historical black colleges).

Oh, I wasn't trying to say Nashville is "hillbilly" any more than I was trying to say Memphis is "ghetto". Those just seem to be the general terms that residents of each city use to make fun of the other.

[Bears]

An article on the mega store in Springfield, MO....

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/busine...4496806,00.html

The Bass pro in Springfield has 300,000 square feet. Compare that to the 32 story Pyramid which has a base of 360,000 square feet.

[dragonfly]

2 major cities in a state will always have a sibling rivalry. I heard a couple of cheap shots at Memphis in the Nashville media as well. I remember a few years back, some newspaper in Nashville actually wrote an article about why Memphis sucks! Not as many Memphians appreciate their city as Nashvillans. Nashville is precieved as the "nice city" and Memphis is considered the "ghetto." Phil Bredsen put it best when he pointed out that "Memphis is like the red headed step child of Tennessee." A lot of Tennesseans (Memphians included) absolutely hate Memphis, but the perception is changing. I think alot of the rivalry started during the NFL issue.

Wow this seems so unbelievable. I grew up in Nashville in the 50's and 60's and let's say if you were going to Memphis in 1962 from Nashville, you were really going somewhere, especially if it was the Cotton Carnival. It was considered a beautiful place with much more going on than in Nashville. The radio personality Scott Shannon (he introduces Sean Hannity on radio) worked in Memphis before Nashville, and I met him in 1969 at WMAK in Nashville. I asked him how he liked Memphis and he nodded and said "beautiful city". And you have to realize that Memphis had as bodacious a reputation for cutting edge crossover and pop music as any place in the world. Elvis still on top, Booker T. & M.G.'s, the Mar-Keys, Rufus Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins in the early '60's hitting #1. In the late '60's it was all the Stax/Volt like Carla Thomas, Bar-Kays, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, later on Rita Coolidge. And it was so interesting that a Tennessee schoolboy like myself always knew instantly when a tune cut in Memphis came over the radio.

[mandrws1]

The fish hook inclinator is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen! I don't think the exterior of a landmark building like this should be touched.

[memphian]

I don't like the design either but when you've got a big building just sitting there rotting..... Plus the pyramid design, no matter how many fish canopies and inclinators shaped as fishing hooks you add, just doesn't match the whole brand image of BPS.

I think a casino would have been the best choice but laws prevent it. "Luxor Memphis"

[mandrws1]

I don't like the design either but when you've got a big building just sitting there rotting..... Plus the pyramid design, no matter how many fish canopies and inclinators shaped as fishing hooks you add, just doesn't match the whole brand image of BPS.

I think a casino would have been the best choice but laws prevent it. "Luxor Memphis"

I liked the indoor theme park idea. The one in Las Vegas is spectacular!