Pyramid Arena
Encyclopedia
The Pyramid Arena is a 20,142-seat arena
located in downtown Memphis
at the banks of the Mississippi River
. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County
. Its unique structure plays on the city's namesake
in Egypt
, known for its ancient pyramid
s. It is 321 feet (98m, about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 ft; it is by some measures the sixth largest pyramid
in the world behind the Great Pyramid of Giza
(456 ft), Khafre's Pyramid
(448 ft), Luxor Hotel
(348 ft), the Red Pyramid
(341 ft) and the Bent Pyramid
(332 ft), both in Dahshur
. It is also slightly (about 16 feet) taller than the Statue of Liberty
. A statue of Ramesses the Great
stands in front of the pyramid.
The Pyramid Arena has not been regularly used as a sports venue since 2004. In April 2009, the Shelby County Commission voted to sell the county's 50 percent share of the building to the city 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 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.
The Pyramid was the site of the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House
pay-per-view, in 1999.
It also hosted the boxing
mega-fight between Lennox Lewis
and Mike Tyson
in 2002, which Lewis won by a knockout
in the eighth round.
Filmmaker Craig Brewer
used the building as a sound stage for his film Black Snake Moan in late 2005.
From 2002 to 2006, the annual Church of God in Christ
international holy convocations were held here.
The arena has hosted many concerts, by famous artists of many different genres.
In 2002, the arena hosted a concert, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley
's death.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed, what is reputed to be, the last concert ever in the Pyramid, on February 3, 2007.
overtook the Pyramid as the city's primary indoor sports arena, the Pyramid did not 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 November 2006, Congressman-Elect Steve Cohen
(D-Tennessee) suggested that he would attempt to open a "Mid-American branch" of the Smithsonian Institution
in the building. However, none of these plans were ever realized.
superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the now-abandoned structure.
On June 30, after 5 years of negotiating, Bass Pro and the City of Memphis signed an agreement for a 55-year lease which would create the main store, additional retail stores, restaurants, offices, and a river museum. In addition, the redevelopment plans include revitalizing the Pinch District, which is the neighborhood around the Pyramid. The city would invest $30 million dollars to help with the seismic retrofitting of the structure which would be funded by future sales tax revenue in the surrounding area. Bass Pro plans to begin renovations and construction in October 2011 with hopes to open its store on August 1, 2013.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
located in downtown Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
at the banks of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
. Its unique structure plays on the city's namesake
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
in Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, known for its ancient pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
s. It is 321 feet (98m, about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 ft; it is by some measures the sixth largest pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
in the world behind the Great Pyramid of Giza
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
(456 ft), Khafre's Pyramid
Khafre's Pyramid
The Pyramid of Khafre, also known as the Pyramid of Chefren, is the second-largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the fourth-dynasty pharaoh Khafre .-Size:...
(448 ft), Luxor Hotel
Luxor Hotel
Luxor Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The 30-story hotel, which is operated by MGM Resorts International, features a casino floor that includes over 2,000 slot machines and 87 table games....
(348 ft), the Red Pyramid
Red Pyramid
The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was...
(341 ft) and the Bent Pyramid
Bent Pyramid
The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu...
(332 ft), both in Dahshur
Dahshur
Dahshur , is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo...
. It is also slightly (about 16 feet) taller than the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. A statue of Ramesses the Great
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
stands in front of the pyramid.
The Pyramid Arena has not been regularly used as a sports venue since 2004. In April 2009, the Shelby County Commission voted to sell the county's 50 percent share of the building to the city of Memphis.
Various former uses and events
It was the home court for the University of MemphisUniversity of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
men's basketball program
Memphis Tigers basketball
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. As of 2011, the Tigers have the 29th highest...
, and later for the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. However, both teams left The Pyramid in November 2004 to move into the newly built FedExForum
FedExForum
The FedEx Forum is an arena located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home games at the Pyramid Arena...
.
The arena hosted the 1993 Great Midwest Conference
Great Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
Men's and Women's basketball tournaments, the 1994 and 1997 Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
men's basketball tournament, the 1996 and 2000 Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
men's basketball tournament, and the 2003 Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
women's basketball tournament. It also held the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1995, 1997, and 2001.
The Pyramid was the site of the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House
St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House
St. Valentine's Day Massacre was the 27th pay-per-view under the In Your House name from the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on February 14, 1999 at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee...
pay-per-view, in 1999.
It also hosted the boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
mega-fight between Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
and Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
in 2002, which Lewis won by a knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
in the eighth round.
Filmmaker Craig Brewer
Craig Brewer
Craig Brewer is an American film director and screenwriter. His 2005 movie Hustle & Flow won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".- Life and career :Hustle & Flow...
used the building as a sound stage for his film Black Snake Moan in late 2005.
From 2002 to 2006, the annual Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
international holy convocations were held here.
The arena has hosted many concerts, by famous artists of many different genres.
In 2002, the arena hosted a concert, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's death.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed, what is reputed to be, the last concert ever in the Pyramid, on February 3, 2007.
Closure
When the FedExForumFedExForum
The FedEx Forum is an arena located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home games at the Pyramid Arena...
overtook the Pyramid as the city's primary indoor sports arena, the Pyramid did not 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
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
, a shopping center, or an indoor theme park.
In November 2006, Congressman-Elect Steve Cohen
Steve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
(D-Tennessee) suggested that he would attempt to open a "Mid-American branch" of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in the building. However, none of these plans were ever realized.
Bass Pro Shops
In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a Bass Pro ShopsBass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the now-abandoned structure.
On June 30, after 5 years of negotiating, Bass Pro and the City of Memphis signed an agreement for a 55-year lease which would create the main store, additional retail stores, restaurants, offices, and a river museum. In addition, the redevelopment plans include revitalizing the Pinch District, which is the neighborhood around the Pyramid. The city would invest $30 million dollars to help with the seismic retrofitting of the structure which would be funded by future sales tax revenue in the surrounding area. Bass Pro plans to begin renovations and construction in October 2011 with hopes to open its store on August 1, 2013.