Opry Mills mall may be gearing up to reopen.
A $400,000 rehabilitation building permit was issued Tuesday for the mall’s Off Broadway Shoes store.
While mall owner Simon Property Group has not disclosed its plans, Off Broadway “is going to reopen with the rest of the mall,” said Phil Lamantia, director of store operations for the Alpharetta, Ga.-based company. The company has no plans to reopen before other stores, as Bass Pro Shops did in September.
Simon Property Group filed suit against its insurers in September, claiming they are withholding $150 million of the $200 million coverage Simon says it is due. After filing suit, Gregg Goodman, president of Simon subsidiary The Mills, said the lawsuit would force them to miss their original grand reopening goal of August 2011.
Repair work at the mall has since stopped, prompting many to question whether Simon, which had more than $3.7 billion in revenue in 2009, has any real intention of reopening the property.
Lamantia, however, said Simon is sharing their projected time lines for reopening. He declined, however, to share those projections. Simon has been tight lipped about its reopening projections since the May flood, and did not mention the August 2011 date until it had filed suit. A call to a Simon spokesperson has not yet been returned.
Lamantia said the mall “absolutely” will reopen. “And it’ll be bigger and better than it ever was,” he said.
Work on the Off Broadway store will be handled by Management Resource Systems, Inc.
The next hearing in Simon’s insurance lawsuit is scheduled for Jan. 7.
If they do everyone gets a smaller peice of the pie. People have from out about other malls such as Providence Place. Some will return to the mills to shop and some will not, others will shop both. No matter what if Opeymills reopens everyone looses. The new convention center is going to pull from the area to downtown, and FACE IT the down town area has major sports events, the County Music Hall of Fame, the Real Opry House,live concerts, misic and food on every corner, and shopping. Oprymills, has Cooter's and an over priced Hotel with a big head and a 40 year old Shoney's full of non- english speaking mexicans, with out green cards. Oh there is a river boat, but they will be closing that this year as well. It looks as if Garylord has shook it's money maker in Nashville for the last time. Now a 750 acer Park is going in on the other side of town in S. Spring Hill. Watching the Opryland Hotel fade away is sad, because when they had Opryland Theme Park they had something evry diffrent a one of a kind, people came from near and far and people from all over the world would meet there, ride rides together and enjoy the history and current times of country music. The true outlet center located across the street was great and always packed. Gaylord got greedy and 10 years and three owners later the area has become a dump. Sad. Very Sad. Soon even the memory of the Park will be gone when the hotel closes. I know they don't want to admit they were wrong yet soon they will have no choice. The Nashville area has moved on. The flood just trimed of abotu five years of decline.
ReplyDeleteSpelling was pretty bad, ok really bad, yet that person has the facts correct. Even with the spelling, Gaylord should hire him. Well should have hired him 10 years ago. Back when some nut in their company said I,m going to replace the park with a dumb a_ _ mall, Kind of like when a Red Neck screams " Hey Watch This" You know it can't be good.
ReplyDeleteI saw the guy from Gaylord that closed the "One Of A Kind Theme Park". He was spending 12 million to build bariers for the next flood, to cut the cost of insurance on the hotel. Then later in the day he was applying for a job at Cooter's. Can you say Lost Cause?
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that the mall is gone, but to wait this long to reopen it speaks volumes. Simon wants out of the area or stupid has a brother.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need another mall, we can go to one of the 11 others. We need a place to take the family to have fun and bond. THINK, THINK. People an idea for the mills mall lovers, lean forward, grip neck, pull head out of backside.
ReplyDeleteWe have Dolly Wood, right. No four hours away, but Beach Bend is close. WOW! And they have managed to run a park for 65 years in Kentucky? At Beach Bend? Gay Lord needs to hire those people.
The Mills malls were a big thing at one time. I think Simon has seen the light of day and knows that's a thing of the past. People are working two jobs time and money are short. It takes an hour to park walk in the mall and walk to the 2 or three shops you want to see in a mall that size. I can get what I need at The Streets of Indian Lake in about 30 mins Shoes At" Rack Room Shoes" Shop Talbots, New York and Conpany, then eat at Chop House, Cheeders, Septembers,Or one of the other 21 new venues in the area. Watch a movie and never have to walk a mile to do it, or a half a mile to get to my car. Lifestyle Centers are the new and best way to go. That's why they are called "lifestyle" center. And let's face it a mall is not a city or state attraction. Tourist don't go to them if they have other things to do, and in the Oprymills area yes the hotel got people over there, the mall was the only thing in the area. So they did go there with no options. The new convention center will finish that off. You have sports, music,food, history, Dancing, clubs, concert hall, the Country Misic Hall Of Fame, the real Opry House where stars were made (not just coming by to paly like the new fake) one. In the words of a great country song, "Turn Out The Lights The Party's Over) R.I.P. Opry Mills. You had it once it was all there; shopping , food, and a park to spare. Gay Lord got greedy and pissed into the wind, the area well never be popular again. There isn't much to do unless you like an overpriced room for two. Shopping? That's anywhere to be found, intertainment, well in Nashville, you'll have to go Down Town. Opryland Drive, is just a dive.
ReplyDeleteMayor and Governor speak in video about Opry Mills opening.
ReplyDeletehttp://factoryoutletinsiders.blogspot.com/2011/04/mayor-and-governor-speak-about-opry.html
They will be entering a bad time in the market, with cost going up. gas on the rise, and and area with very little history. If fact the area is most famous for the Opry Land U S A Theme park that closed due to a misjudgement on Garylords part. Proven when they sold their share of the mall in just a few short years. The Park was known around the world. The mall. Not so much. The park was there 26 years. How did that happen. Hire locals please.
ReplyDeleteSome at Gaylord said "Hey watch this" Then said; "That didn't work out so good"
ReplyDelete"Your crazy". A mall HAAAAA!
Hey ! Build a theme park.. Base it on country misic. In Nashville U S A! Call It Opryland U S A. Wow. I bet it would last 26 years. At least. And you wouldn't have to take out a 2nd loan on it to get it up and running. Can Not Fix STUPID!!!!!!!!! The mall will next be what it was and now you have two loans. S==ks to be Simon.
ReplyDelete