Like most modern convention center construction projects, Music City Center was built with the expectation that it will allow Nashville to grab a bigger piece of the country’s annual schedule of large conventions.  At a total of 1.2 million square feet and with over 370,000 square feet of primary exhibit space, they say it’ll position the city  for consideration to host up to 75% of major conventions.  The $623 million facility also has a 57,000 square foot grand ballroom (that’s pretty darned grand), a 18,000 square foot “junior ballroom” and 1,800 parking spaces.

The building itself is quite distinctive when viewed from above.  At one end of the roof is an area shaped like the body of a guitar where the rooftop mechanical equipment is hidden.  Most of the rest of the wavy roof is covered in plants.  Excess rain that falls on the four acre green roof ends up in a 360,000 gallon retention tank for later use watering the landscape – and for flushing the building’s toilets.  Still not “green” enough for you?  They also plan to add an acre of solar panels.

In addition to Bridgestone Arena (home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators) and The Country Music Hall of Fame, other nearby attractions include Ryman Auditorium (original home of the Grand Ole Opry) and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

TheRealPlaces.com has guides to nearby hotels for over 100 convention centers in the United States.

Since 1950 the College World Series – the final round of the annual NCAA Division I college baseball playoffs – has been held in Omaha.  From 1950 to 2010 the games were played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium.  After opening in 1948, Rosenblatt was also the home of the AA minor league Omaha Cardinals, AA Omaha Dodgers and, from 1969-2010, the AAA Omaha Royals.

Eventually the NCAA decided that Rosenblatt was no longer suitable for their “CWS” and Omaha responded by spending $131 million to build a new downtown stadium, eventually named TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.  In return, the NCAA has agreed to keep the College World Series in Omaha through 2035.  The new ballpark is also home to the Creighton University Bluejays baseball team, the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament and home games of the Omaha Nighthawks of something called the “United Football League”.

Notably absent from the list of tenants of the new ballpark are the Omaha Royals.  For many years they’d been unhappy playing in a stadium much larger (Rosenblatt held over 23,000) than was needed for a AAA team.  After exploring various options, they decided to move into their own new ballpark – Werner Park in suburban Sarpy County near the town of Papillion.  At the same time they changed the name of the team to the Omaha Storm Chasers.