MUSIC CITY CENTER ANNOUNCES LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION

MUSIC CITY CENTER ANNOUNCES LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Music City Center is proud to announce that it has been awarded LEED® Gold certification for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system is a globally recognized symbol of excellence in green buildings.

"The project and design team did an incredible job making LEED certification a top priority, and I know the Music City Center staff has continued to focus on environmental stewardship in day-to-day operations," Mayor Karl Dean said. "We set out with an original target of LEED Silver, and I am extremely proud of the team for surpassing that goal and achieving LEED Gold certification. Green buildings like this one are key to driving our city and our economy toward a more sustainable future and to helping us reach our goal of being the greenest city in the Southeast."

LEED certification identifies Music City Center as a showcase example of sustainable design and demonstrates leadership in transforming the building industry. LEED promotes sustainability for commercial facilities by recognizing buildings that were designed using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. LEED recognizes five key areas of environmental health: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

"We are tremendously proud of this achievement," said Marty Dickens, Chair of the Convention Center Authority. "It signifies Nashville's commitment to the environment, and the Music City Center is proud to be a part of the green building movement here."

Features key to the Music City Center's LEED Gold certification include a green roof, a rainwater harvest system and extensive LED lighting with specialized controls. The four-acre green roof, currently the largest in the Southeast, is composed of 14 different types of vegetation which slow rainwater runoff and direct it to a 360,000 gallon collection tank. Harvested rainwater is then used to flush over 500 toilets/urinals and irrigate outdoor landscaping. All toilets, urinals and faucets in the Music City Center utilize low-flow technology and are part of the water management plan that reduces the facility's overall water usage by 40 percent. The roof helps to reduce energy usage by absorbing heat and acting as an insulator to reduce the amount of energy needed to provide heating and cooling to the facility. As lighting can account for 30 percent of energy used in buildings, the Music City Center uses LED lighting equipped with occupancy sensors, photo sensors and dimmable ballasts to reduce energy use. On average, the building will consume 20 percent less energy than conventionally designed buildings of the same type.

A leading destination in green meetings, the Music City Center has hosted 250+ events with over 300,000 attendees since opening in May 2013.

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About the Music City Center

The Music City Center, Nashville’s convention center, features a 353,143 square foot exhibit hall, the 57,500 square foot Karl F. Dean Grand Ballroom, and an 18,000 square foot Davidson Ballroom. The building includes an art collection featuring local and regional artists, a covered three-level parking garage with 1,800 spaces, and is LEED Gold certified. The Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame is also located inside the Music City Center at the corner of 6^th Avenue and Demonbreun.