Expansion and Renovation Planned for 1994
Addition
Historic Auditorium to Remain Unchanged
Ryman Hospitality Properties (NYSE: RHP), owner of the Ryman
Auditorium, Nashville’s iconic National Historic Landmark and world
renowned performance venue, today announced an approximately $14
million planned expansion and renovation of the Ryman’s 1994
addition. The historic auditorium, restored in 1994, will remain
unchanged.
The proposed expansion and renovation will improve the Ryman
Auditorium experience for both tour guests and concert attendees
and will include an event space featuring a new, state-of-the-art
daytime tour attraction, which will provide a unique way to relive
the Ryman Auditorium’s storied past. The space will be available in
the evenings for private functions. Other amenities include a
dedicated café space, enhanced food and beverage services
throughout the building and an expanded retail area with interior
and exterior access. Renovation plans also include a new box
office, additional restroom facilities and larger lobbies.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam joined Colin V. Reed, chairman, chief
executive officer and president of Ryman Hospitality Properties,
Sally Williams, general manager of the Ryman Auditorium and Opry
Entertainment vice president of business and partnership
development and Steve Buchanan, president of the Opry Entertainment
Group for today’s announcement at the Ryman Auditorium.
“The tourism industry adds more than a billion dollars annually
to our state’s tax base, making it critical to fostering sustained
economic growth in Tennessee,” Haslam said. “Continued investment
from hospitality leaders like Ryman will further improve our
state’s unique tourist offerings and attract even more visitors to
Tennessee.”
In a statement made prior to today’s press conference, Nashville
Mayor Karl Dean said, “There’s no place in the world like Music
City, and we owe a great deal of that unique identity to the city’s
iconic landmarks, particularly the Ryman Auditorium,” Dean said.
“This expansion is a welcome addition to our vibrant downtown area.
I thank Ryman Hospitality and Colin for this investment and all
they’ve done to help make Nashville a top destination.”
The planned renovation and expansion are part of Ryman
Hospitality Properties’ ongoing investment in Nashville and its
attractions business, which recently experienced record-breaking
tour and concert ticket sales.
“The Music City brand has never been more powerful than it is
today. We strongly believe that we are at the very front end of a
meteoric rise in both national and international tourism thanks
largely to the ever-increasing popularity of country music and the
“Nashville” television show,” Reed said. “We are making this
investment now so that the Ryman Auditorium is better equipped to
accommodate the current and future demand we are seeing from both a
tourism and concert attendance perspective.”
The project is expected to break ground in late summer 2014 with
a planned opening in early June 2015. The Ryman Auditorium is
slated to host a full calendar of events and tours throughout
construction.
Williams said, “Just as Steve Buchanan and the company’s
management team did in 1994 with the original Ryman Auditorium
expansion and reopening, we are thoughtfully planning for the
future of one of the most historic and revered places to hear and
perform live music. The enhancements will dramatically improve the
pre-and post-show experience and allow visitors to share in our
122-year history in ways that are not possible within our current
space. With no renovations taking place in the historic auditorium,
we expect little to no disruption in our operations throughout the
construction phase, which we anticipate will be complete in time to
welcome our guests during next year’s CMA Music Festival.”
Reed continued, “Before we decided to move forward with our
plans for this expansion, we felt that it was important to have the
support of the artist community who played a vital role in making
the Ryman Auditorium the internationally-celebrated venue it is
today. We have shared our plans with several artists who have a
strong connection to the Ryman Auditorium and the feedback has been
overwhelmingly positive. Maintaining the historic integrity of the
Ryman Auditorium was a high priority and we have selected two
Nashville-based firms who share in that vision, Hastings
Architecture Associates and R.C. Mathews Contractor, who served as
the general contractor for the original 1994 Ryman Auditorium
expansion. The proposed design will preserve the historic 5th Ave.
entrance skyline and original Ryman Auditorium aesthetic while
providing some much needed room to grow.”
Also in attendance at today’s press conference were Grand Ole
Opry members and multi-Grammy Award-winning artists Vince Gill,
Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart.
“The Ryman has always been in the best hands since this company
has taken over its operation,” said Vince Gill. “This is an
important renovation, but the heart this company has shown for the
Ryman’s preservation is even more special.”
"To me, there is no place like The Ryman Auditorium,” said Ricky
Skaggs. “Whether I'm performing, seeing a show or just walking
around in the building, it's home to my heart.
That's why I'm so excited about the new expansion The Ryman is
getting. It's gonna be great for the fans and the performers. The
Ryman is The History Of The Future!”
“The Ryman Auditorium has seen countless changes in the
Nashville landscape since its doors opened in 1892,” said Marty
Stuart. “It has somehow been a standard-bearer all the while,
moving forward with the times. The new expansion to the “Mother
Church of Country Music” is a fitting reflection of the global
interest in our city as well as the world of country music. It’s
exciting to watch the continuance of the legacy of one of America’s
most cherished buildings.”
About Ryman Auditorium
A National Historic Landmark, the Ryman Auditorium was built as
a tabernacle by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892, served as the home
of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-74, and was completely renovated in
1994. The Ryman is open for tours during the day and at night
offers a wide variety of entertainment performances, just as it has
for over 120 years. The venue was voted the 2010, 2011, 2012 and
2013 Pollstar Theatre of the Year. Ryman Auditorium is owned by
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a Nashville-based
REIT that also owns and operates the Grand Ole Opry, and 650 AM
WSM. For more information, visit www.ryman.com.
About Ryman Hospitality Properties
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a REIT for
federal income tax purposes, specializing in group-oriented,
destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets. The Company’s
owned assets include a network of four upscale, meetings-focused
resorts totaling 7,795 rooms that are managed by lodging operator
Marriott International, Inc. under the Gaylord Hotels brand. Other
owned assets managed by Marriott International, Inc. include
Gaylord Springs Golf Links, the Wildhorse Saloon, the General
Jackson Showboat and The Inn at Opryland, a 303-room overflow hotel
adjacent to Gaylord Opryland. The Company also owns and operates a
number of media and entertainment assets, including the Grand Ole
Opry (opry.com), the legendary weekly showcase of country music’s
finest performers for nearly 90 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the
storied former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown
Nashville; and 650 AM WSM, the Opry’s radio home. For additional
information about Ryman Hospitality Properties, visit
www.rymanhp.com.
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MEDIA:Brian AbrahamsonRyman Hospitality
Properties615-316-6302babrahamson@rymanhp.comorLisaann
DupontRyman Auditorium615-458-8715ldupont@ryman.com
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