Report: Bass Pro nears deal for Pyramid store

Memphis Commercial Appeal reported today that Bill Dance and city officials expect Bass Pro by the end of the month to complete due diligence and reach a binding agreement for its plans to put one of its signature stores in the Pyramid, a stainless steel arena that previously housed the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team and has been vacant since 2004. When the project was first announced in February 2006, Bass Pro proposed to rent the Pyramid for as much as $1 million a year and invest another $75 million to $100 million to transform it into a store.

The project’s magnitude has been the cause for the delays, according to the Commercial Appeal’s report; officials now expect Bass Pro to commit soon because of other developers looking to take on the venue.