Pyramid Arena
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:PyramidArena.jpg The Pyramid Arena is a 21,000 seat arena located in downtown Memphis at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and is owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County.
It is 32 stories high and has base sides of 180 m; it is the third largest pyramid in the world, and, at 98 m (321 feet) tall, it is taller than the Statue of Liberty. It was the home court for the University of Memphis men's basketball program, and later for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies. However, both teams left The Pyramid in November 2004 to move into the newly built FedExForum.
The seating capacity for concerts can be up to 21,000.
Its unique structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient Pyramids.
The arena hosted the 1993 Great Midwest Conference Men's and Women's basketball tournaments, the 1994 and 1997 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament, the 1996 and 2000 Conference USA men's basketball tournament, and the 2003 Conference USA women's basketball tournament. It also held the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, and 2001.
It was the site of the only WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view, in 1999.
Since the recently completed FedExForum has overtaken the Pyramid as the city's primary indoor sports arena, the Pyramid does not currently have any long term tenants. A committee studied possible uses of the arena in 2005, and considered such uses as converting the arena into a casino, an aquarium, a shopping center, or an indoor theme park. In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a Bass Pro Shops superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. Filmmaker Craig Brewer used the building as a sound stage for his film Black Snake Moan in late 2005.
Bass Pro Shops officially announced their plans for the Pyramid on February 24th, 2006.
The store will have a climbing wall, a place to test-drive boats, a restaurant, and a hotel. One of the walkways leading into the Pyramid will be covered by a giant canopy that will look like a fish, and there are plans for the arena's inclinator to be active, and shaped like a giant fishhook. Officials said the company plans to invest at least $75 million to make the project a reality.
The project is still in its planning stages, and no official contracts have yet to be signed with the city. Officials with Bass Pro Shops said they currently plan to open the Pyramid arena store sometime in 2008.
External links
- The Pyramid
- wmctv.com article on Bass Pro Shop expansion
- Commercial Appeal article on possible uses (requires registration)
- Emporis page
Categories: Indoor arenas in the United States | Basketball venues in the United States | Tennessee landmarks | Defunct sports facilities | Sports in Memphis, Tennessee | Buildings and structures in Tennessee | University of Memphis basketball | Memphis Grizzlies | Wrestling Pay-Per-View Venues | SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Venues | C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament Venues