NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP, abc24.com) - The Opry Mills shopping mall in Nashville formally reopened Thursday after being shuttered for almost two years because of flooding from the nearby Cumberland River.
The 1.2-million-square-foot mall at the site of the old Opryland USA theme park has been closed since May 2010. A dispute over insurance coverage delayed restoration work at the venue adjacent to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center and the Grand Ole Opry House.
An estimated $200 million in repairs have been done. A few tenants have already reopened or, like Bass Pro Shops, never closed or shut down briefly. There are a dozen or so new stores.
The mall means nearly 3,000 jobs for Middle Tennessee. It draws some shoppers from nearby counties, and gets some business from Nashville's 1 million yearly tourists.
The 12-year-old mall, with 140 retailers, is owned by Simon Property Group. There are three other major shopping malls in or near Nashville; two others have failed.
