Nashville Music City Center -- About -- Construction

Construction Milestones

First Quarter 2010

The Metro Council of Nashville and Davidson County votes to approve construction of the Music City Center.
Demolition of most buildings on the property takes place and excavation begins between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Excavation crew discovers “mud cutters:” unstable seams of mud that run through limestone and must be cleaned out and repaired.

Second Quarter 2010

Metro Water Services relocates the 66-inch Wilson Springs brick storm sewer crossing Franklin Street and 5th Avenue on the southeast corner of the site.
The 360,000 gallon run-off retention tank is built in the northeast corner of the site. Rain water will be stored there and used to irrigate outdoor landscaping and the four-acre green roof.
Overhead low voltage lines from XO Communications, AT&T, and Comcast are cleared from the site.
Site excavation continues and footings are poured for columns, starting at the northeast end of the site, near 5th Avenue and Demonbreun Street.
We start crushing excavated rock from the site to use for backfill around columns.
NES pulls high-voltage cable into the newly completed underground duct bank.
Excavation begins for the permanent truck access tunnel that will serve both the Bridgestone Arena and the Music City Center in the future.
The first three tower cranes are erected on site.

Third Quarter 2010

One of the biggest pours of the job takes place overnight August 3: 1,000 cubic yards.
The temporary truck tunnel leading to the Bridgestone Arena completes just in time for Brooks and Dunn’s final show.
Work begins on the NES distribution duct bank running down 5th Avenue.
The last three of six total tower cranes erected and begin operating to place concrete.
The first steel trusses for the exhibition hall ceiling are fabricated.
Construction of the down shaft for the new NES transmission tunnel is completed and the first transformer vault is built.
Five 1,200 gallon grease traps are installed under the kitchen truck dock.
The parking garage starts to take shape as concrete slabs are poured between 6th and 8th Avenues.
Exterior columns along 5th Avenue that will support the soffits are formed.
Construction of the grade beam for the serpentine wall along 5th Avenue begins, which means the shape of the building as seen on the renderings becomes visible.
Geotechnical testing takes place on the site of the former Rocketown, in preparation for the new NES substation.
Vertical walls near 5th and Demonbreun are formed.
The construction crews embed steel plates in the concrete to accommodate the eventual placement of steel.
Installation of under-slab utilities, including plumbing and electrical, begins between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Ground level view of construction

Fourth Quarter 2010

29 pre-cast bulb tees girders, each weighing 52 tons each, are placed to form the ceiling of the 4th floor junior ballroom.
Concrete work reaches a new level – literally - as pours begin on the 5th floor exhibit hall, migrating from the northeast end of the site.
As the exhibit hall is poured, state of the art utility boxes are cast in place on the floor. Each of the 370 utility boxes contains access to internet connection, cable, and compressed air for use by exhibitors.
The new NES substation on 6th Avenue, immediately south of the building, makes significant progress: walls are built, waterproofing, mats, and fiberglass conduit are installed, and switchgear modules and transformers are delivered and installed.
Concrete work passes the 50 percent completion mark.
Plumbing and electrical contractors begin underground ‘rough ins’ and ductwork on site.
Both NES and District Energy Services (DES) work commences in 4th Avenue and Demonbreun Street, as the first group of 25 manholes is placed.
Excavation for footings continues – and nears completion – at the northwest end of the site, near the existing NES substation.
The storm water drain at 4th Avenue and Molloy is rerouted.
NES vaults are installed at 7th Avenue and Demonbreun and at 4th Avenue and Korean Veterans Boulevard.
Work continues to create the future truck access tunnel to Bridgestone Arena at 7th Avenue and the future Korean Veterans Boulevard extension.
Underground storm lines are placed outward from the building perimeter towards 5th Avenue.
Concrete pours on the parking garage near completion.
Drainage is placed in Demonbreun Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
NES duct bank is installed along the future Korean Veterans Boulevard between 5th and 6th Avenues.

First Quarter 2011

Steel erection begins and crews hang steel off the 5th floor level, creating the skeleton of the pop out lobby – known as either ‘the whale’ or ‘the drum’ around the site.
Concrete pours on the 5th floor exhibit hall near completion.
District Energy Service (DES) lines are placed in 4th Avenue, Demonbreun Street, and Molloy Street, Including two lines for chilled water, one for steam, and one for condensate return.
Hyundai gas insulated switchgear (GIS) in installed in the new NES substation at 6th Avenue and the future extension of Korean Veterans Boulevard, as well as switchgear, transformers, and capacitor banks.
Plumbing and electrical contractors install overhead conduit and ductwork in the garage as well as in Building A, while the fire protection contractor installs sprinkler piping.
Utility work in the roads around the site – including work at Demonbreun Street at 4th, 5th, and 8th Avenues – wraps up and roads reopened to normal traffic patterns.
NES crews pulls wire through conduit to accommodate the new substation.
Steel trusses that form the ceiling of the exhibit hall and floor of the grand ballroom begin to be hung.
Construction of the metal decking for the concourses begins, with concrete poured on top to create floors.
The masonry team begins work, building concrete block walls inside the building to separate the truck tunnel from the lower level mechanical rooms.
Staircases are poured in Building A, between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Scaffolding comes out of 6th Avenue under the building, opening up the sight line on the street.
The drywall contractor begins laying out partitions and bathrooms in Building A.
Tower crane #2 is raised to facilitate steel work on the grand ballroom, while tower cranes #3 and #5 are dismantled and removed from the site.
Loading dock perimeter walls take shape.
Electrical crews install low voltage phone and cable conduit in the building.
Flow testing of hydrants occurs as a basis for the design of fire pumps.

Second Quarter 2011

The spiral truck ramp and parapet walls for the loading dock are built at the south side of the site.
Concourses and mezzanines continue to evolve, as concrete on metal decking is poured.
In an innovative process, catenary trusses are jacked 33 feet in the air with hydraulic jacks to create the exhibit hall ceiling.
Similarly, the first 270-foot long truss for the grand ballroom ceiling is jacked 88 feet in the air.
The angled steel for the guitar-shaped rooftop protrusion above the grand ballroom is being erected.
Bases for the four external columns to support the soffits are formed and the columns are subsequently placed.
Duck work, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work is underway in Buildings A and B, and underground mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work continues in Areas A and C.
District Energy System installed in Demonbreun between 4th and 5th Avenues.
The masonry team builds the block walls for the truck tunnel, garage, interior stairways, administrative offices and back of house.
Drywall framing works north to south in Building A.
Framing of the perimeter exterior walls by the miscellaneous metals team begins, forming the frame curtainwall and metal panel attaches to.
The 5th Avenue escalator tower is under construction and the first escalator is installed.
Utilidors, the corridors into which the exhibit hall floor boxes feed, are built by the masonry team.
The concrete team completes the parking garage and the exhibit hall floor.
The waterproofing team conducts flood testing at the truck dock level of the building prior to applying waterproofing.
Four tower cranes are removed from the site, leaving two operating to support the steel crews.
A 110-foot long, 37.5-ton plate girder is placed in the South Tower using a 360-ton hydraulic crane.
Masonry in the internal truck tunnel wraps up and the new tunnel opens for deliveries to Bridgestone Arena.
Project managers conduct preliminary work to ensure the building will accommodate all public art pieces.
Flooring in the administrative areas at the south of building finishes.
Construction and testing of the new NES substation on Peabody finishes and the substation goes ‘hot,’ while salvage and demolition of the former substation on Demonbreun takes place, opening the last piece of the site up to construction.
Curtainwall begins arriving on site.

Third Quarter 2011

Miscellaneous metal installation continues in preparation for hanging of curtainwall.
Curtainwall is installed on 6th Avenue and Demonbreun Street.
The NES Demonbreun substation is decommissioned demolished, and the area is excavated, making room for construction in that area.
Construction of the pedestrian bridge over 6th begins.
Concrete crews complete pouring in Buildings B and C, west of the former NES substation, pour elevated decks on the site of the former substation, and continue to pour concrete on metal deck to create the building’s concourses.
Jacking and placement of catenary trusses for the exhibit hall ceiling resumes and is completed in Building B.
In Building A, steel work forms the ceiling of the 7th floor grand ballroom.
Brick masons lay brick beginning at the southeast corner of the site, working west along what will be Korean Veterans Boulevard and up 8th Avenue.
Block masons build walls for the carpentry maintenance shop, fire pump room, and truck dock area, and place ground face concrete block to create the finished interior of the exhibit hall.
The electrical contractors place conduit for the main electrical feeders to the building.
Waterproofing on the truck docks completes.
Installation of sheathing to accommodate metal panel completes, and metal panel begins to be placed on the south elevation . . .
Escalators continue to be installed on both the 5th Avenue side of the building and level seven on the Demonbreun Street side.
The last two tower cranes are dismantled and removed from the site.
Steel erection in Buildings A and B concludes . . .
The fascia soffit assembly or ‘eyebrow’ of the building on Demonbreun Street is built by the drywall and metal panel teams.
District Energy Service (DES) piping is installed in the Building A mechanical room.
The roofing team arrives and applies the building’s roof system in Building A, on top of the already installed metal decking and completes the high roof, seen in renderings as the guitar-shaped pop-up.
Stone masons lay decorative granite on the northeast and southeast corners of the building.
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work, including hanging of duct work and placement of air handling equipment, continues through all three building sections.
Waterproofing membrane for the building’s exterior is installed.
The wood blocking behind walls to accommodate installation of public art pieces is half complete in meeting levels one through three.
Buildings B and C, the main electric room, and the distribution centers are energized with permanent power.
All mechanical equipment is set in Building A.

Fourth Quarter 2011

Erection of the catenary trusses over the exhibit hall, executed by an ingenious system of hydraulic jacks, completes.
Block masons – ground face block wall that defines exhibit hall in Buildings A and B
Drywall installation is hung for first floor meeting rooms and the drywall team begins closing in walls and ceilings . . .
Exterior stone work, including granite and limestone completes in the northeast corner and begins in the valet parking area on Demonbreun Street.
Curtainwall installation works down the Demonbreun Street elevation, wraps the corner, and works down 5th Avenue and the south elevation along the future Korean Veterans Boulevard.
Installation of the sedum green roof begins.
The concrete team finishes pouring elevated decks inside the building, completing the grand concourse.
Metal panels are finished between 5th and 6th Avenue on the south side of the building, and installation continues on the west, south, and east sides of the building.
The low roof is installed in Building A . . .
Steel erection over the exhibit hall completes.
The balance of underground utilities is installed by the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing teams.
Metal panel beam wraps start above the eastern glassed-in sunroom.
The miscellaneous metals team begins installing the frame for curtainwall supports and stone façade in the northwest corner of the north concourse.
Brick work on the 8th Avenue elevation wrapped up.
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment is set above the 5th floor and continues in all parts of the building.
Roof decking completed and roofing was installed.
The installation of ceiling grids in the meeting rooms starts.

First Quarter 2012

Green roof installation gets 75 per cent complete and work on the last section of the roof, north of the exhibit hall, begins.
Operable walls in the meeting rooms are installed.
The masonry team builds concrete masonry unit walls in Buildings B and C of the exhibit hall, as well as the ground-face block walls on the exterior of the west elevation.
In level one meeting rooms, all drywall gets hung.
Curtainwall continues to work down the east elevation of the building.
Structural steelwork – the third big phase of construction, after excavation and concrete – completes and culminates with a ‘topping out’ lunch for all 1,500 workers!
Building A duct work and air handling units are being set in the loading dock area at level six.
Fireproofing continues at the west end of the building and at level six.
Stonework at 5th and Demonbreun completes, making way for curtainwall installation in the east picture window.
Miscellaneous metal work completes on the west elevation, and all brickwork on the building’s exterior wraps up.
Placement of metal panels begins on the southeast high elevation.
Construction of the valet drop-off area at 7th Avenue and Demonbreun is now underway.
Walk-in coolers and freezers are placed in back-of-house areas behind meeting rooms.
Elevator work begins.
Conduit for the MCC’s low voltage utilities, AT&T and Comcast, is set.
The bathrooms for level one meeting rooms get completed.
Supports for future directional signs are installed.
Framing of the ceiling in the junior ballroom begins. . .
The exhibit hall gets a coat of fresh white paint.
Installation of wood-grain metal panels begins on the soffit overhang, starting at the northeast corner.
The joint team of masons, ironworkers, and concrete begins building the stage in the grand ballroom.
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work above the ceiling is underway on level three.
On the west side of 6th Avenue, we’re installing the polymer-based dropped ceiling that is waterproof and provides insulation.
Framing of skylights in the north concourse takes place.
Work on the infrastructure for the audio visual system starts.
Painting of exterior columns begins.
Drywall is hung in the stage area of the grand ballroom.

Second Quarter 2012

The freight elevator becomes operable and testing of escalators begins.
Installation of the rectangular skylights and the domed skylights completes.
Stone setters place the tiles for the three vitrines on the south side of the north concourse.
The curtainwall team begins setting glass in the west portion of the ‘whale’ at the grand lobby, and the cable tension window system on the north side begins.
Installation of the green roof completes.
Permanent lighting goes into exhibit hall.
Construction of vertical concrete masonry units (CMU) walls begin at the site’s northwest corner.
Finish work, including mill work, stone, and painting, begins in the level one meeting rooms.
Block work on the planters at the west end of the building begins.
Walls on the building’s west side get closed in.
Installation of all windows on the east elevation finishes.
Conditioned air begins blowing through Building A to control humidity and thus prevent warp of millwork.
Logistics are worked out for the above ceiling support points for the two largest pieces of commissioned art, in the east escalator tower and on the north side of the building, above the cascade stairs.
Tile works begins in the bathrooms on the south side of the exhibit hall.
In 6th Avenue, installation of direct applied exterior finish system (DAEFS) in the ceiling completes.
Kitchen equipment, primary stainless steel hoods, arrives on site for installation.
Save for detailing, the roof finishes.
Flatwork for the public plazas surrounding the building begins in the northeast corner of the site and works down Demonbreun Street.
Installation of operable partitions begins in the exhibit hall.
The five-sided window glass goes in on the east side of the building for four viewing balconies on levels three, five, and seven.
Drywall work completes on the building’s west side.
Construction of miscellaneous metal walls in the ballroom begins.
Foundations for the exterior benches on the north side finishes.
Mill work finishes on level one and moves to level three meeting rooms.
Installation of acoustical ceiling in the east concourse of building A starts.
Final rough-ins for all bathrooms will wrap up.
The erection of miscellaneous metal in the Grand Ballroom concludes.
All metal panels will be installed on the west side of the roof ‘drum,’ the guitar-shaped high roof.
The 42-foot movable panels dividing the Grand Ballroom are hung.
On the east side of the building, flat work for the public plazas is poured.
Installation of the Crab Orchard stone for outdoor benches commences.
Metal panel installation on the south side’s screen walls wraps up.

Third Quarter 2012

Exterior glass is completed.
Paint is finished in the first floor concourses.
North concourse, interior ceiling work and continuation of faux wood panels on exterior soffits begins . . .
Storefront doors are hung throughout the building.
Metal panel installation on the north elevation and the fascia soffit, or ‘eyebrow,’ above it, wraps up.
Carpet is installed in the first and third floor meeting rooms.
6th Avenue through the building is paved. . .
Installation of duct work throughout the building completes at the west end of the exhibit hall.
Site work, including paving and placement of Crab Orchard stone, finishes on the 5th Avenue side of the building and continues on the east side.
On the first and third floor, ceiling work wraps, and the complex Grand Ballroom ceiling work begins.
Exterior up-lighting underneath soffits is tested on the 5th Avenue elevation.
Wood panel mill work finishes in the Davidson Ballroom, first and third floor meeting rooms, and pre-function areas . . .
Parking equipment arrives for installation in the garage.
Installation of glass fiber reinforced gypsum (GRG) column wraps takes place in east concourse.
Waterproofing completes on the exterior of the grand lobby.
Resinous flooring is applied in the pot wash area of the kitchen.
Curbs are poured in levels three and four of the parking garage.
Flat work for the public plazas is poured on the west elevation.
Limestone work begins on the balcony edges in the east and north concourses.
The DAEFYS (Direct Applied Exterior Finish Systems) ceiling wraps up in the valet area and installation of the midnight blue acoustical ceiling begins in 6th Avenue.
The inside of the ‘whale,’ the grand lobby pop-out, gets drywall.
Operable partitions are installed in the Exhibit Hall and Grand Ballroom.
Installation of the capstone seat tops begins on outdoor benches on the north and east elevations.
Tiling continues in the level five bathrooms.
At the east end of the exhibit hall, installation of glass store front begins, separating the hall from the east concourse.
Carpet installation begins in the Davidson Ballroom.
Permanent lighting is complete in Exhibit Halls A and B.
In the Grand Ballroom, plaster work completes, as does drywall.
Bathroom punch list begins.
Installation of the glass inserts for the railing system throughout the building commences.
Walls are closed in on the show managers offices in Building A, above the exhibit hall.
Commissioning of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is ongoing.

Fourth Quarter 2012

Permanent scoring of the exhibit hall to mark off spaces for exhibit booths commences.
Work on the tile floors in the elevators completes.
The two-inch concrete topping slab is poured in the north concourse.
Final adjustments of the operable partitions are made in the Exhibit Hall.
We wrap up the glass fiber reinforced gypsum decorative wall in the Davidson Ballroom pre-function area, as well as all drywall work in the ballroom.
Excavation for planters takes place on the 8th Avenue plazas.
Escalator testing takes places.
Crews finish laying ceramic tile in the six garage vestibules.
Kitchen equipment, including mixers, pizza and convection ovens, and proofers, arrives on site and installation begins.
In the four Level 6 show managers’ offices, tile work wraps up, and the lay-in ceilings are installed, and aluminum frame/glass store front windows are installed. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work continues in this area.
Final painting of the 5th Avenue lobby’s east wall takes place.
Millwork completes in the pre-function space for the Davidson Ballroom.
Sidewalks on the west side are poured and completed, as is concrete flatwork on the north side public plazas.
Installation of vinyl tiling starts in the administration area west of 6th Avenue.
Shop drawings are underway for the rooftop solar panels.
Installation of curved glass handrails on the ornamental staircases starts.
Commissioning of building systems, including the exhibit hall floor boxes, begins.
Tile, millwork, and stone installation in the north concourse continues.
Final cleaning of the garage takes place and striping of parking spaces begins.
The landscaping team begins planting trees on the east public plaza. The site includes elm, redbud, oak, maple, and magnolia trees.
In the Grand Ballroom, plaster work finishes on the ceiling, the wood ceiling is installed, and millwork on the walls works on the west, north, and east walls.
Installation of the Axminster carpet finishes in the first floor public areas and Davidson Ballroom. It begins in the lower level meeting rooms, third floor east concourse, pre-function areas, and west lobby.
Metal column wraps begin on exterior columns in the valet area.
Drywall finishes in the north concourse domed skylights.
Glass cladding for the main elevator lobbies starts.
The sub-ceiling in the main lobby finishes and installation of wood veneer metal panels starts on the east side, moving west.
Stone cladding on the west elevation begins.
Low voltage utilities, including the 201 security cameras and fire alarms are installed and tested.

Construction Management

Bell/Clark, a Joint Venture, in association with Harmony Construction

Clark Construction performs preconstruction, construction management, general contracting, trade work, design and build, and consulting services. Clark has extensive experience with major public assembly projects, including convention centers in Boston, Chicago, Knoxville, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Orange County, Palm Beach County, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

Bell & Associates, headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., is a general contractor that provides construction management, design-build and preconstruction services for clients throughout the Southeast. Bell is known for its construction of Nashville landmark projects, including the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge, the AT&T Building and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Current Bell projects include a contract to renovate Nashville International Airport’s terminal and concourses and the Corporate Centre Office Park in Cool Springs. The majority of Bell’s projects are located in Tennessee.

Harmony Construction Group is a partnership among three minority-owned companies: Hermosa Construction, Don Hardin, Inc., and East Tennessee Mechanical Contractors, Inc., that came together to work the Music City Center. Previous projects include the Country Music Hall of Fame, LP Field and The Commons project at Vanderbilt University. The principals of Harmony are leaders in the diversity business enterprise (DBE) development community and facilitate DBE participation at all levels of the construction process.

Architects

Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates
The Atlanta-based firm, a world-renowned designer of convention centers, was selected to be the lead firm for the design of Nashville’s new Music City Center convention facility. TVS has designed more than 50 convention centers worldwide, including seven of this country’s 10 largest. Its U.S. convention center projects include those in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Orange County, Fla.; and McCormick Place in Chicago. It also designed the new China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. In addition to its convention center experience, TVS has designed major office towers and other structures all over the world.

Tuck Hinton Architects
Tuck Hinton Architects of Nashville has designed dozens of award-winning structures across the country. Its Nashville projects include the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Bicentennial Mall and the renovation of the Frist Center. The firm received a “Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Award” for its work on the recently renovated Nashville Public Square at the Metro Courthouse.

Moody Nolan
Moody Nolan is the oldest minority-owned architecture firm in the country and has won more than 125 design awards nationwide, including some for its work in Middle Tennessee. The Nashville office of Moody Nolan is a leading local architecture firm and important contributor to the national firm, which is based in Ohio. Its award-winning efforts include major projects on the Tennessee State University and Fisk University campuses.