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A Resolution to requesting the Nashville International Airport to preserve the historic Colemere Manor, home to Monell's at the Manor.
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WHEREAS, Colemere Mansion was built in 1898 by the Colonel E.W. Cole, who later became president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway and socialized with such Southern aristocrats as the Vanderbilts and Biltmores; and
WHEREAS, designed by Colonel W.C. Smith, an architect who also designed Nashville's Parthenon, Colemere Mansion quickly became noted for its many distinguished guests and extravagant social events, including visits from no fewer than five U.S. presidents; and
WHEREAS, after a fire in 1929, the building was rebuilt in 1930. In 1940, the City of Nashville acquired the mansion, leasing it to the Colemere Club, a private men's club frequented by important guests upon their arrival at Nashville's airport. Notable celebrities hosted by members of the club included Andy Griffith, Eddy Arnold, the Everly Brothers, Charlton Heston, Red Foley and opera singer Robert Merrill. The mansion was transformed into the New Orleans Manor in 1977, a popular seafood buffet restaurant, before it was leased by Monell's founder and owner Michael King and renamed Monell's at the Manor; and
WHEREAS, on September 29, 2023, Nashville International Airport (BNA), current owner of the property, notified Monell's at the Manor that they do not plan to renew their lease with the restaurant which terminates on April 30, 2024; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the family-style dining for which Monell's is famous, the restaurant regularly hosts weddings, rehearsal dinners and other special events. Generations of Nashvillians and Middle Tennesseans have made cherished memories within the walls of the Manor; and
WHEREAS, community members and Monell's staff urge BNA to reconsider the fate of the Manor. They request an extension of the current lease and collaboration with Monell's and the community to develop an alternative plan...
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