Redone signs ‘tasteful, beautiful,’ Bass Pro says
Bass Pro Shops officials say they heeded critics and wildlife experts and responded appropriately in rethinking signs at a planned Pyramid superstore.
But the jury is out on whether the public and a Downtown design review board will embrace what company founder and president Johnny Morris called “a very tasteful and beautiful sign” and architect Tom Jowett likened to “a piece of sculpture rather than a piece of signage.”
Bass Pro sparked controversy earlier this year with plans for 66-foot by 90-foot, internally lit signs on all four sides of the city-owned Pyramid. A Downtown design review board sent the company back to the drawing board after airing complaints about the signs’ designs and placement.
Morris and Jowett said in the two months since the design board action, the company studied the impact of colors and light on migratory birds, consulted with Memphis-based Ducks Unlimited and the National Wildlife Foundation and attended a national wildlife conference.
Designers eliminated the signature yellow, red and dark green of Bass Pro’s oval logo and opted for raised metallic characters with an embossed finish, including a giant leaping bass. A sign on the building’s north face was dropped completely after complaints from Harbor Town residents, but a sign was added to the south face for a national waterfowl center in part-
nership with Ducks Unlimited.
Jowett said the signs would be submitted to the Downtown Memphis Commission design review board for consideration in July. In March, most board members objected to the design, and some questioned why the wall signs are needed to lure customers to such an iconic building.
The new signs appeared to be getting a better reception, judging from comments trickling in on social media from those who have seen the company’s renderings.
Others said the design had improved, but pointed out nothing is official until it’s submitted to the Downtown board.
“The new proposed signs are much more creative and tasteful. They fit well with the building,” said architect Chooch Pickard, former director of the Memphis Regional Design Center, who was critical of the original signs.
Craig Cardwell, president of the Harbor Town homeowner association, said he was happy Bass Pro had scrapped plans for a sign directly facing the Mud Island residential enclave, but he personally questioned why any large logo signs are needed.
“Since they have not filed any official applica- tion with the design review board of the Downtown Memphis Commission, I’m still holding my final thoughts and reservations,” Cardwell said. He’s concerned about lighting and the potential for light pollution.
No application had been filed with the design review board, which isn’t scheduled to meet again until July 3. The board requires applicants to submit plans two weeks before a meeting. Unless the July meeting is postponed because it’s too close to July 4, the Bass Pro application would be due June 19.
Morris said the company didn’t see the sign controversy coming. “It’s kind of surprising sometimes; things come up in a project that you never even dream would be a conflict or an issue for people and for neighbors.”
After objections were raised, “We said, ‘How about if we come up with something that looks more tasteful and in keeping with kind of the silver color of The Pyramid, and we do kind of a medallion that would show our logo?’” Morris said.
“We also learned in this process concern from some of the neighbors about are we creating signs that will be detrimental to some of the waterfowl and other migratory birds because they’re attracted to our bright sign and they would fly into it and be in trouble.”