to Opryland Hotel. By this time, Opryland had grown to in size. However, the Delta project tied up all of the remaining land contiguous to the park, leaving it with no room to grow. Nashville's climate, with frequent winter cold, made year-round operation nearly impossible; seasons were restricted to weekends in the late fall and early spring expanding to daily in the summer. Seasonal workers became hard to find because of the Nashville area's booming economy beginning in the 1980s, and Gaylord found itself with a labor shortage. Also, attendance plateaued through the first half of the 1990s. In 1997, Gaylord Entertainment CEO E.W. "Bud" Wendell retired. Wendell was a holdover from previous WSM, Inc. management, and he had been involved in Opryland management from the beginning. Wendell was replaced by Gaylord's Chief Financial Officer, Terry London. Unlike Wendell or Ed Gaylord, London had no sentimental ties to the facility or to the other Gaylord country-music properties. One of London's first acts as CEO refocused the company on its core hospitality businesses. London came to the conclusion that Opryland Themepark would not deliver the desired rate of return. He and his team decided the amusement park should be replaced by a property usable year-round, rather than being closed for several months of the year (despite the next-door Opry holding weekend shows year-round). Rumors began to surface during the summer of 1997 that Gaylord was considering selling or demolishing the theme park. The decision to close the park and replace it with a shopping mall named Opry Mills was made public that November, about a week after the end of the park's regular season. Gaylord management, in conjunction with Mills Corporation, announced in November 1997 that the entire property would close for two years for a $275 million renovation branded as "Destination Opryland". The property would include Opry Mills, as well as a marina on the Cumberland River near the General Jackson's dock, a TNN/CMT broadcast center with studio tours, a renovated Grand Ole Opry House (including a new stage design and new seating), and a revamped Opry Plaza that was to include retail, dining and entertainment options. Gaylord announced that around two-thirds of Opryland Themepark would remain, including existing rides and shows. However, none of these plans, except Opry Mills, came to fruition. Company filings later showed that Opryland had quietly put 13 of its most popular attractions up for