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(Nashville, Tennessee...) -- March 11, 2010 -- Audemars Piguet Replica Friends, neighbors, community leaders, local and state representatives and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean were on hand to break ground today at the site of Nashville's newest travel destination, The Fontanel Mansion. Former home of Country Music Hall of Famer Barbara Mandrell, the mansion will open for public tours on June 1, 2010. In addition, the surrounding 136 acres will include a restaurant, museum and gallery, an outdoor music venue and hiking/mountain biking trails.

As bull dozers, dump trucks and earth movers were making ready the sites for The Farm House Restaurant at Fontanel, The Trails at Fontanel and The Woods at Fontanel, an outdoor music venue, owners Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, Operating Partner Tom Morales, Tennessee Department of Tourism's Lee Curtis, Nashville Councilman Walter Hunt, community leader Jim Lawson joined Mayor Dean to speak about the history of the area and the impact the new additions will have on the local economy. Following the ceremony, all parties united to plant a dogwood tree on the property to symbolize new life and new growth the area.

"One of the things we have to do as a city is make sure that we are creating jobs and creating opportunities," said Mayor Dean. "What is happening here is essentially they are creating about 200 jobs when this is fully up and running, which is a wonderful thing for our community. It creates opportunities for young people and expands our tax base which allows us to do the things we need to do for our schools, for school prom night. This is going to be a major new attraction, a new family-oriented facility that is going to benefit our city. To everyone involved, and to the citizens of Whites Creek and everybody in Nashville, congratulations. This is a wonderful project and I am so honored to be here to participate in some small way."

"This is a great opportunity not just for fans of country music to walk through the home of a living legend, but for Nashville visitors and everyone who lives in Middle Tennessee to come and enjoy a concert, take a hike on the trails and end the day with a great meal," said Marc Oswald, who along with Dale Morris, purchased the home in 2002.

Originally built in 1988 by two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Barbara Mandrell, the 27,000 square-foot Fontanel Mansion was once the largest log home in the United States. With three stories, 18 rooms, seven full baths, six half-baths, five fireplaces, two kitchens, media room, indoor pool and spa and even an indoor shooting range, the home has always been an exclusive spot for the stars. Everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Dick Clark has visited the home. It has also been the site for major motion pictures, numerous television productions and the location of countless photo and music video shoots.

"Love was the motivation 20 years ago for my husband, Ken, and me to plan and build Fontanel," said Barbara Mandrell about Fontanel. "It brought us such joy and happiness living in our log home, and raising our three children, and we all have very special memories of the 13 years we lived there. I'm pleased that Fontanel belongs to Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, who have done so much for Country Music.  They are using Fontanel for a project to help promote the love, history and preservation of America's Music.  I'm sure that music lovers, like Dale and Marc, will create a special place that will provide enjoyment for people for many years to come, and my family and I wish them the very best."

The Mansion at Fontanel will also be available for private rental beginning June 1, 2010, opening up the home to countless event opportunities like weddings, receptions, corporate meetings and more. From an elegant dinner for 20 in the Mandrell Dining Room to a down-home party for 2,500, the Fontanel Mansion is ready to welcome guests.

"It represents an era of country music where it exploded onto the national scene," Morales told WSMV-TV. "When people come here from all over the country and the world, this will give them a reason to stay an extra night in Nashville," he added.

The Trails at Fontanel will wind over two miles across the meadow and through the dense woods of the expansive property, which is only 15 minutes from downtown Nashville. Free to the public, the Trails will be open daily for those wanting to get in a morning hike or afternoon mountain bike ride. The Trails at Fontanel are pet friendly, but dogs must be on a leash.

The Farm House Restaurant is a 140-seat full-service dining facility that will showcase local produce, dairy and meats delivered from area(community supported agriculture) farms. The restaurant itself will have a community supported garden on the Fontanel property, and the menu will feature specials that reflect the different growing seasons. Open seven days a week for three meals a day, the restaurant will anchor the property and give an easy reason to make frequent visits.

Unlike anywhere else in Nashville, the Woods at Fontanel is an outdoor music venue with a capacity for 2,500 guests. Featuring state-of-the-art sound and a cozy wooded setting, the natural amphitheatre space of the White's Creek valley will be host national touring acts and also be available for corporate picnics and events.

When all of the projects are completed, over 200 new jobs will offer a sizeable impact to the local economy.  The family atmosphere and close proximity to downtown will make the Mansion at Fontanel a shining new jewel in the Nashville crown.

Fontanel Attractions is the operating entity for the Mansion at Fontanel and its associated properties. Its ownership team includes country music industry management legend Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, whose management credits include the likes of Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson; Operating Partner Tom Morales, who owns TomKats Catering and Saffire Restaurant, is the managing partner of the Loveless Cafe and produces numerous events; and Development Partner Alex Marks.