Downtown's The Center to open in time for World Cup crowds
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A rendering of the proposed atrium food hall inside The Center. Rendering: Courtesy of TSV
The developer turning CNN's former Downtown headquarters into a mixed-use complex says they're on track to welcome the public before the FIFA World Cup.
Why it matters: CP Group's makeover of the 1.2 million square-foot complex dubbed The Center could become a gateway to a major activity hub during the month of soccer matches and into the future.
Zoom in: CP Group, which calls itself the largest owner of commercial properties in Atlanta, purchased the complex in 2021. It is planning a "year-round destination and hub" for shopping, food, business and more.
- Scheduled for completion by the World Cup: street-level entrances to a renovated atrium food hall, public terraces and plazas, as well as murals and art installations.
- A digital "ATL" sculpture will take the place of the oversized and photo-friendly CNN logo, which followed the news outlet in 2024 to its new offices at the Turner Techwood campus in Midtown.
- The Center has also installed three 12-story LED advertising signs.
Catch up quick: Opened in 1976 as the Omni International Complex, the property was home for six months to The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, a doomed attempt at creating the country's first indoor amusement park.
- CNN claimed the space 11 years later, and the complex — and by extension, the city — became a domestic and international news production hub. In the process, it was a reminder to countless viewers that Atlanta exists.
Zoom out: The buildout plan includes up to 230,000 square feet of retail and dining.
What they're saying: Chris Eachus, a CP Group founding partner, told Axios in a statement that the project is a "key link between the city's past and future."
- "We're filling a gap in street-level vibrancy, beginning with our community art installations, and giving this corridor the front door it's been missing."
Fun fact: TVS, the architect that worked on the Omni International Complex more than 40 years ago, is designing The Center.
The big picture: Right now, the Gulch is metro Atlanta's development epicenter. The megaprojects taking shape — see Centennial Yards' master-planned districts and South Downtown's parcel-by-parcel revitalizations — could create an everything-for-everyone entertainment and tourism hub.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected by removing a note stating the buildout plan includes more than 900,000 square feet of production space.