The three Little Nashville Opry land parcels sold at a tax certificate sale this morning, for the minimum bid of $57,630.

The winner and sole bidder, Scott Wayman, announced he intends to build a music venue on the property along State Road 46 west of Nashville.

He said the plan includes creating an intimate setting similar to what made the Opry attractive to performers and audience members for more than 30 years.

The former owner of the land, Esther Hamilton of Little Nashville Enterprises, has about four months to reclaim the property. In order to stop Wayman from petitioning the court to put the properties in his name, Hamilton would have to pay back more than $115,000 in unpaid property taxes, plus 10 percent of Wayman’s bid.

Lienholders also have a 120-day window to make a claim on the property.

This is not Wayman's first attempt at owning the Little Nashville Opry land.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the arson case filed against former Little Opry business manager James D. Bowyer, Wayman was negotiating to buy the popular country music venue when it burned to the ground the night of Sept. 19, 2009. That deal, the record states, fell through about six weeks before the fire, when the financing company deemed the Opry not worth the $2 million asking price.

An excited Wayman said this morning that while proceeding to acquire the deed, he will continue discussing construction plans with engineers and contractors.

Read more in the April 25 Brown County Democrat.

-- Kevin Lilly, Brown County Democrat