NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Construction on the new Music City Center, located in downtown Nashville, just south of the Bridgestone Arena has reached the halfway mark.
Larry Atema is the senior project manager of $585 million, 1.2 million square foot project.
He told Nashville's News 2 more than 1,000 employees report to the site each day to work on the massive project.
The new convention center will technically only be eight floors, but the unique design will make the center 15 stories high. It will feature a ballroom and 60 meeting rooms of varying sizes.
Atema said the real marvel of the project is in the core of the building.
"The mechanical systems of the building are huge because we have to heat and cool 1.2 million square feet so buried in the guts of the building are the systems that support all of that," he explained.
According to Atema, the mechanical systems include large scale pipes that each weigh several tons and duct work large enough for two trucks to pass through side-by-side.
He said since reaching the halfway mark with construction and the budget, it will be crucial during the upcoming months to stay on schedule.
"We're trying to finish as much as we can because when we get the exterior done, we've still got a long way to go," he explained.
Crews hope to finish the structural steel by the beginning of the year before placing 16 acres of roof on the building.
"It's like a giant puzzle everyday," Atema said.
Construction on the new building is expected to be complete by the spring of 2013.
For more information including project updates and a live feed of the construction site, visit NashvilleMusicCityCenter.com.
Previous Stories:
- June 13, 2011: Music City Center making fast progress
- March 31, 2011: Road construction to continue around MCC
- Feb. 17, 2011: Downtown road construction drags on
- Jan. 20, 2011: Construction workers claim too many out-of-state jobs at MCC
- Jan. 16, 2011: Downtown intersection reduced to 2 lanes for construction
- Jan. 13, 2011: Music City Center making fast progress
- Sept. 9, 2010: Construction continues on new Music City Center
- Aug. 24, 2010: Omni to build $250M convention center hotel
- March 22, 2010: Official groundbreaking held for Music City Center
- March 11, 2010: Music City Center creates construction jobs
- March 9, 2010: Blasting begins for new Music City Center
- Feb. 26, 2010: Convention center construction hits full throttle
- Feb. 8, 2010: Crews tear down first building in Music City Center's footprint
- Feb. 7, 2010: Auto shop relocates to accommodate convention center
- Feb. 4, 2010: Find alternative parking during downtown construction
- Jan. 21, 2010: Proposed Music City Center plans first conventions
- Jan. 20, 2010: Music City Center, Medical mart concerns addressed
- Jan. 20, 2010: Convention center given green light: Now what?
- Jan. 20, 2010: Convention center approval clears way for medical mart
- Jan. 19, 2010: Convention center approved, plans move forward
- Jan. 19, 2010: Council approves convention center financing package
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