Nashville Making A Comeback

Six months after floodwaters ravaged several historic sections of Nashville, many Music City landmarks have begun showing new signs of life.

Gaylord’s Opryland Resort & Convention Center reopened its doors Nov. 15 after undergoing extensive repairs to its hotel rooms, exhibit halls and electrical and mechanical systems at a cost of up to $285 million.

The company has also rehired staff at the resort after laying off more than 1,700 employees following the May flood.

Elsewhere in the city, several other landmarks are also getting back into the swing of things.

SoundCheck Nashville, a 160,000-square-foot storage rental hub and rehearsal studio in an industrial park by the Cumberland River, reopened in July. The facility houses tons of instruments and gear for Nashville artists including Brad Paisley and Vince Gill.

The Gibson Guitar factory also wrapped restorations during the summer. The company was reportedly forced to destroy roughly 15,000 instruments damaged during the flood.

As for Nashville venues, the Grand Ole Opry House reopened Sept. 28 with a star-studded celebration concert after undergoing months of repairs to its stage, dressing rooms and seating.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which sustained nearly $40 million worth of damage, is scheduled to reopen with a New Year’s Eve concert featuring Itzhak Perlman and the Nashville Symphony.