Nashville, TN (May 1, 1998) -- MARS - The Musician’s Planet, one of the hottest musical instruments and retail chains in the country, has signed a lease for a 40,000 square foot mega store at Belz Enterprises’ 100 Oaks Mall. Construction of the facility is currently underway and a July Grand Opening is planned. It will be the chain’s 15th store nationwide.

The Fort Lauderdale-based MARS company offers guitars, both acoustic and electric; percussion instruments of all types; keyboards, both professional and consumer; recording, pro audio and sound, and lighting equipment; and band and orchestra sheet music.

"MARS is a great addition not only to our mall but to Nashville, the city of music," says Andrew J. Groveman, Senior Vice President President of Belz Enterprises.

In business since December 1995, MARS caters to three distinct audiences:  the professional and semi-professional musician, the hobby and entry level musician, and the institutional buyer, i.e., nightclubs, recording studios, and even religious institutions that want to update their sound systems.

"The MARS store is a highly interactive, retail and consumer environment that promotes music and musicians in many forms," says Mark Clark, Marketing Director of MARS. "For example, the MARS store will feature a Learning Center for music lessons, ensemble rooms and programs designed for putting bands together, as well as band camps and music programs for kids during summer vacation and throughout the school year."

100 Oaks Mall is currently over 90% occupied and features such popular retail anchors as OFF 5th - Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Burlington Coat Factory, JC Penney Catalog Outlet, Comp USA, Media Play, TJMaxx, Luxury Linens, Michael’s and Reebok. In addition, the 850,000 sq. ft. shopping destination recently welcomed the Regal Hollywood 27 Cinema, a 107,000-square-foot, 27-screen mega-plex theater which is the largest movie theater east of the Mississippi.

100 Oaks was built in 1967 as the second enclosed mall in the Southeast and the first shopping mall in the state of Tennessee. Extensive renovations have made the mall Nashville’s premiere value-oriented shopping destination.

With headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., Belz Enterprises is a leading innovator in real estate development with interests throughout the South and much of the country. Belz owns and manages over 25 million square feet of shopping centers, office buildings, mixed-use centers and corporate campuses. In addition to Nashville, Belz owns and manages Factory Outlet Worlds in Lakeland and Pigeon Forge, TN, Las Vegas and Orlando. The company also developed and owns a group of premier hotels, including the flagship Peabody Hotels in Memphis and Orlando.

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