(Memphis) Excitement over Bass Pro Shop’s renovation of the Pyramid is turning into impatience.
The final product was supposed to be open months ago, but construction is still at its beginning phases.
Talks and planning for the Bass Pro Shop at the vacant Pyramid have taken up most of a decade, and last year the company set a finish line of Fall 2013.
But now, as we near the spring of 2014, the Pyramid doesn’t look much different.
“Whenever I say Bass Pro is coming along, people always chuckle a little bit because, it’s taken so long, but it really is happening,” said Memphis City Councilman Jim Strickland.
Strickland says he understands the frustration, since many people feel that the Bass Pro project is floating idly while construction was supposed to be a hook, line, and sinker.
“It’s just a really big project and Bass Pro wanted to make sure they got it exactly right and they determined changes needed to be made so it got pushed back a little bit,” said Strickland.
The company says some of the hold came because they added additional hotel rooms to the plans.
They also had to wait on the city to fix foundation seismic problems that would have been a huge issue if there was an earthquake.
Now Bass Pro says the retail part of the project should be done by Thanksgiving this year, with the hotel to open shortly after.
“It’s going to have so many unique design features and opportunities unlike any of our other stores and these things take time to develop, design and to bring about. It’s not uncommon, if you’ve ever built a house you know what kind of delays can come up,” said Katie Mitchell with Bass Pro.
Tuesday will make another milestone in the project.
Memphis city council members and WREG will load up in buses for a tour to see what progress has been made before Bass Pro construction teams really start the heavy-duty building.
Strickland hopes tomorrow’s last look at the Pyramid before completion will open up a new opportunity.
“Now that things are underway we can expect certain benchmarks to be met by the opening,” said Stickland.
He hopes council and Bass Pro can come up with those bench marks after tomorrow’s final tour.
