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The top of the Pyramid

mandrws1

By mandrws1
in Memphis

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mandrws1 Hamlet

mandrws1

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When the Pyramid first opened, there was supposed to be an elevator to the top. I actually walked to the top one day to raise money for St. Jude (I think it was St. Jude, but anyways) and it is one of the most beautiful views that I have ever seen. Looking down at Harbor Town from that high is something else all together. Tourists can go to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Sears Tower, Empire State building, and the Space Needle in Seattle. What are the powers that be waiting on in Memphis? This should have happened 10 years ago as promised. This one is a no-brainer. I wish I had the money to make it happen, because I could make a fortune off of the revenue that it would generate!

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sleepy Burg

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When the Pyramid first opened, there was supposed to be an elevator to the top.  I actually walked to the top one day to raise money for St. Jude (I think it was St. Jude, but anyways) and it is one of the most beautiful views that I have ever seen.  Looking down at Harbor Town from that high is something else all together.  Tourists can go to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Sears Tower, Empire State building, and the Space Needle in Seattle.  What are the powers that be waiting on in Memphis?  This should have happened 10 years ago as promised.  This one is a no-brainer.  I wish I had the money to make it happen, because I could make a fortune off of the revenue that it would generate!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When built, the Pyramid was supposed to be developed by this individual who subsequently had certain legal and/or financial difficulties. Perhaps when the thing is redeveloped there'll be some sort of viewing platform.

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doormanpoet Hamlet

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Tony Giarratanna said at the meeting unveiling the Signature Tower that observation decks had a lot more restrictions since 9/11 and especially in Davidson County, TN because there have been suicides by peole jumping off the outdoor observation decks. They are also very expensive. They must have their own seperate elavator and those can run very high in cost.

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northernbizzkit1 Hamlet

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Sydney Shlenker (Pyramid developer) went bankrupt and the whole thing was ditched. If you go into the arena today, you can see the beams and empty shafts running up two of the corners towards the top. It was supposed to have this big Egyptian Museum as well as connections to "Festival Island" (Mud Island). According to the Commercial Appeal, almost all of the proposals for the new use of the Pyramid include an observation deck...we can only keep our fingers crossed! I went on the St. Jude walk, and it has the BEST view! It was funny to see barges so far up the river...

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mandrws1 Hamlet

mandrws1

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How long did it take you to get to the top? It took me a while because I had my 2 year old son on my back. I was exhausted, but he and I both were amazed at the view. This is why I am so anxious for the Vue on Main to be built so that I can live above the city with that amazing view. The river is even more beautiful than I thought!

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northernbizzkit1 Hamlet

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How long did it take you to get to the top?  It took me a while because I had my 2 year old son on my back.  I was exhausted, but he and I both were amazed at the view.  This is why I am so anxious for the Vue on Main to be built so that I can live above the city with that amazing view.  The river is even more beautiful than I thought!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha...it probably took me about 15 minutes...it was such a wonderful view...I never realized how pretty it would be! There is so much South Main development...let's get on with North Main!!!

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mandrws1 Hamlet

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Yes, there is a lot of South Main development. The north area of downtown (Uptown) is really coming along though. The Harbor Lights condos (www.harborlightscondos.com) building will be breaking ground soon. I work at St. Jude, and of course the 7-story radiation building has already broken ground is the hole will be filling up soon. I really want to see the Pyramid get developed and some new skyscrapers downtown. Nashville's skyline is really racing ahead of ours.

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cdarr Whistle-Stop

cdarr

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Did you go up there la year or two ago, when they opened it for the public as part of a charity drive? I was there too!!! Fortunately, I had just climbed a mountain a few months earlier...otherwise, I would have been wasted.

The view of Harbor Town is great!

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crabbj Unincorporated Area

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Wasn't some kind of glass skull or something like that placed in the top of the Pyramid? Part of that Egyptian motif that never really went past that.

I remember around 1989 there were talks of putting a Rock and Roll hall of Fame museum and a Hard Rock Cafe in there. Remember the "The Big Dig??"

Van Halen was the first band to perform at the Pyramid-1991

U2 for some reason had issues playing there at the time...

And a lighting tech for Bryan Adams fell to his death while setting up light rigs in the Pyramid.

And when I went to see Eric Clapton in 1992 the acoustics were so bad all I heard was the guitar...but it was Eric's so that's ok!

Great pictures.. I never knew there was an observation area that was completed.

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mandrws1 Hamlet

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Yeah, we lost the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland. And the Hard Rock Cafe chose its current Beale Street location instead. There were also talks of a restaurant which would have had incredible views. Off the subject, but I recently ate at the American Grille at the top of the Clark Tower and the view is amazing.

http://towerroom.com/tower_room_view.html

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crabbj Unincorporated Area

crabbj

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Yeah, we lost the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland.  And the Hard Rock Cafe chose its current Beale Street location instead.  There were also talks of a restaurant which would have had incredible views.  Off the subject, but I recently ate at the American Grille at the top of the Clark Tower and the view is amazing.

http://towerroom.com/tower_room_view.html

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Has it always been called that? I remember years ago my folks use to go to the "Summit Club" there. I am very good friends with one of the musicians of the Jim Johnson Orchestra, who were regulars there every weekend. As a kid, I used to love it when my father would take the car down that loop exit at the top of the parking garage at Clark Tower... I don' t think it is used anymore.

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mandrws1 Hamlet

mandrws1

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This article was in today's Commercial Appeal (8/01/05).

Brewer to use Pyramid as soundstage

By John Beifuss

Contact

August 1, 2005

The Pyramid's future may be in doubt, but its present suddenly has become pretty remarkable.

For at least the next two months, The Pyramid will function as a soundstage for the production of "Black Snake Moan," Memphis filmmaker Craig Brewer's followup to "Hustle & Flow."

For 60 days starting today, the city and county will allow the film's producers to use The Pyramid for free. Two to four sets will be constructed on the 137-by-253-foot floor of arena, including the interior of a house occupied by the North Mississippi bluesman played by Samuel L. Jackson.

The film also will star Christina Ricci as a nymphomaniac who -- in the film's most provocative interlude -- is chained to a radiator in that house. Memphis pop idol Justin Timberlake co-stars as Ricci's boyfriend.

The Pyramid deal -- developed over the past two weeks by representatives of the city, the county, the Film Commission and the production -- guarantees that "Black Snake Moan" will be shot entirely in Memphis and the Mid-South, despite incentives that would have saved the production $875,000 if it had relocated to Georgia, a state that has been actively trying to recruit Brewer's film for months.

"To be honest, this is the deal that kept us here," said Brewer, 33.

The $13 million Paramount Classics production is expected to spend an estimated $4.4 million on Memphis and Mid-South individuals and companies, said "Black Snake Moan" line producer Paul Hellerman, whose credits include "Pulp Fiction." About 350 extras will be hired, along with numerous crew members.

Shooting begins Sept. 12. If the stages in The Pyramid are needed after the initial 60 days, the rate will be $1,500 a day.

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ricky_the_great Whistle-Stop

ricky_the_great

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This article was in today's Commercial Appeal (8/01/05).

Brewer to use Pyramid as soundstage

By John Beifuss

Contact

August 1, 2005

The Pyramid's future may be in doubt, but its present suddenly has become pretty remarkable.

For at least the next two months, The Pyramid will function as a soundstage for the production of "Black Snake Moan," Memphis filmmaker Craig Brewer's followup to "Hustle & Flow."

 

For 60 days starting today, the city and county will allow the film's producers to use The Pyramid for free. Two to four sets will be constructed on the 137-by-253-foot floor of arena, including the interior of a house occupied by the North Mississippi bluesman played by Samuel L. Jackson.

The film also will star Christina Ricci as a nymphomaniac who -- in the film's most provocative interlude -- is chained to a radiator in that house. Memphis pop idol Justin Timberlake co-stars as Ricci's boyfriend.

The Pyramid deal -- developed over the past two weeks by representatives of the city, the county, the Film Commission and the production -- guarantees that "Black Snake Moan" will be shot entirely in Memphis and the Mid-South, despite incentives that would have saved the production $875,000 if it had relocated to Georgia, a state that has been actively trying to recruit Brewer's film for months.

"To be honest, this is the deal that kept us here," said Brewer, 33.

The $13 million Paramount Classics production is expected to spend an estimated $4.4 million on Memphis and Mid-South individuals and companies, said "Black Snake Moan" line producer Paul Hellerman, whose credits include "Pulp Fiction." About 350 extras will be hired, along with numerous crew members.

Shooting begins Sept. 12. If the stages in The Pyramid are needed after the initial 60 days, the rate will be $1,500 a day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Timberlake is from Memphis?... thats sorta embarrassing haha.

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