Saturday, January 28, 2012
Dolly/ Gaylord Partner For New Park In Nashville
Two of the biggest names in Tennessee tourism are teaming up to bring a major family entertainment zone to Nashville.
Gaylord Entertainment and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Company have entered into a memorandum of understanding for a 50/50 joint venture to develop a 114-acre family entertainment zone adjacent to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
The Dollywood Company will serve as the operating partner. Phase one of the project is a yet unnamed approximately $50 million water and snow park, the first of its kind in the United States.
A late 2012, early 2013 groundbreaking date is expected with the park opening slated for summer of 2014.
The water and snow park will anchor the project which offers room for future expansion. The park will provide a mix of high energy water activities for the summer season and designated snow activities for winter play.
Once open, first year attendance is projected at 500,000, a large portion of which will come from out of state, bringing in substantial tourism revenue to Tennessee and Nashville.
Dollywood expects to employ 450 full- and part- time employees.
“I’m so excited about this opportunity,” Dolly Parton said. “I am confident that partnering my Dollywood Company with a great company like Gaylord will create something truly special. We’re all working on new types of entertainment to do in the daytime and nighttime for the whole family so we bring new folks to the area year round.”
