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Bevo immersive attraction proposes 30,000 sq ft Mud Island installation, seeks private capital and county partnerships
Summary
A local team described "Bevo," a 30,000-square-foot immersive family attraction planned for Mud Island, to the commission. The presenters said they have seed funding, a five-year license arrangement with the park nonprofit and are seeking private investment and local government partnership for programming, accessibility and site improvements.
Entrepreneurs promoting "Bevo," a planned immersive entertainment project on Mud Island, told the Shelby County Commission on Thursday they are raising private capital to convert the closed Mud Island River Park museum into a 30,000-square-foot family attraction that organizers say would add visitors and create jobs.
"We are building a 30,000 square foot, family attraction for Memphis and Shelby County," Christopher Reyes, a Bevo co-founder, said during a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee. Reyes described a mix of interactive play, physical sets and technology-driven storytelling aimed at families, tourists and fans of immersive entertainment. He cited comparable attractions'Meow Wolf'which reported hundreds of thousands of visitors in initial years'as a rough demand signal for the concept.
Organizers said they have a five-year operating agreement with Memphis River Parks Partnership and have raised about $200,000 in seed funding. "We are seeking private investment of $5,000,000 for phase 1," another co-founder said; organizers told the committee they plan two main phases corresponding to large existing exhibit spaces in the River Park building. The team said they are not requesting direct county capital but asked commissioners for help identifying grants, programming partnerships and operational supports to maximize community access and educational programming.
Co-founder Marvin Stockwell described community outreach and a prior 2020 pop-up that sold out and engaged local students in "world-building" workshops. "My favorite quote was from a little girl: 'My favorite thing was learning how to make art from garbage,'" he said, summarizing earlier community workshops and youth sessions.
Board and advisory members the presenters named include local and national creative- and technology-sector professionals; the team said local hires and training will be part of the project's workforce plan. Organizers said they plan ticketing that includes lower-cost options and community passes, and they said they welcome partnerships with Memphis-Shelby County Schools for student field trips and with local nonprofits for outreach and summer programming.
Commissioners asked organizers to provide a detailed budget and specific requests the county could consider during the FY26 budget process. Commissioner Thornton suggested early engagement with the Memphis-Shelby County School district and asked for a list of local nonprofit and school partnerships. The team agreed to provide more detailed cost breakdowns and to coordinate site tours for commissioners so officials could see the scope of work needed at Mud Island.
Committee members did not vote on funding; the discussion closed with organizers offering to follow up on requested materials. Organizers said they plan a fast timeline and hope to open a first phase in about a year if private fundraising and site work proceed on schedule.
