NASHVILLE, TENN. — The Convention Center Authority of Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County has purchased the former Estes Kefauver Federal Building parking garage site, which sits one block from Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) sold the 1.3-acre site at 811 McGavock St. for approximately $52 million.
The land purchase comes one year after a feasibility study showed that Music City Center, the 2.1 million-square-foot convention center that opened in May 2013, was losing business due to space limitations and availability constraints. The existing convention center offers 353,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, two ballrooms, 60 meeting rooms and a covered parking garage with 1,800 spaces. The study recommended an expansion of 587,000 square feet to meet current and future demand.
“Finding that much space on one lot in close proximity to our building is tough, if not impossible, so we’ll likely have to build on multiple sites,” said Charles Starks, president and CEO of the Convention Center Authority. “This property is a great start toward that end, as we continue to look at property around us.”
Site selection is the next step in expansion exploration for Music City Center, according to the Convention Center Authority. No further plans have been made.