The Wall Street Journal's Hannah Karp runs down today a list of idled sports stadiums, some of which -- like the Detroit area's Pontiac Silverdome -- could be had for a relatively modest sum by a well-heeled buyer looking for a unique last-minute holiday gift. The Pyramid in Memphis makes the list, of course, though the arena for now is spoken for in a lease agreement between the city and Bass Pro Shops. Here's what Karp has to say about the silver-and-blue jewel of the Mississippi:
Opened in 1991, this 20,000-seat arena on the banks of the Mississippi--one of the world's 10 largest pyramids--housed the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men's basketball team until both moved to the FedEx Forum in 2004. Shelby County, which sold its half share in the arena to the City of Memphis this year, has considered refashioning the pyramid as a casino or an aquarium. A local congressman suggested opening a new branch of the Smithsonian Institution. Sporting-goods outfitter Bass Pro Shops is renting the pyramid for $35,000 a month with plans to convert it into a megastore, but a spokesman says the company won't purchase the building.
Leave a comment