The CTR prepares to open Downtown food hall, massive bar
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The CTR's bar will seat up to 60 people once complete. Photo: Kristal Dixon/Axios
When CTR opens its food hall next month in the former CNN Center, developer Chris Eachus hopes the space will be more than just the city's newest dining destination — he envisions it as "Downtown's living room."
Why it matters: "I think these are areas where people will gather, have a great time with their friends and family, and get to eat and do lots of different things," said Eachus, founding partner of CP Group, which is redeveloping the 1.2-million-square-foot complex now called The Center.
The latest: The 12 dining concepts at the food hall include Dessert Box, Flora D'Italia, Fuzzy's Seafood, La Tropical, Mimi Taqueria and Morelli's Ice Cream.
- A cheesesteak concept and another potential food stall are in the works, but those details have not been finalized, CP Group told Axios.
- At the center of the 24,000-square-foot space will be a huge bar that can seat up to 60 people, which CP Group claims is Georgia's largest. It also includes 11 bartender stations.
- Mastro's Ocean Club, an upscale steakhouse and seafood spot, will be CTR's signature restaurant opening on the ground floor.
Zoom in: Along with the food hall and sprawling bar, CP Group is seeking to transform two towers into residential and hospitality uses.
- Ryan Howard, senior vice president of construction and development, said the apartment tower could have 200 units, with the hospitality space expected to have a similar number.
- Some apartment units could be classified as affordable, but nothing has been finalized.
- "We're letting the city lead us on what that needs to be," Howard said.
Last week, the city announced Atlanta Culture House will also move into space at the former CNN Center.
- Adriane Jefferson, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, said the space will be about 23,000 square feet and feature events and programming that tap into music, dance, visual arts and fashion.
- The Culture House will be set up from June 14 to July 14, and eight flagship events will take place throughout the month.
Catch up quick: CP Group, which calls itself the largest owner of commercial properties in Atlanta, purchased the complex in 2021.
- CNN, located there since 1987, moved its Atlanta staff from the Downtown hub back to its original Midtown campus in 2023.
Flashback: 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.
- After CNN claimed the space, the complex — and by extension the city — became a domestic and international news production hub.
The bottom line: Eachus told Axios the CTR, along with the $5 billion Centennial Yards project, could offer a chance for people to experience Downtown outside of attending a sporting event or convention.
- "I think we'll really serve as sort of a reintroduction," he said of Downtown. "I think our project will become a very easy place for people to meet, hang out [and] enjoy themselves."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from CP Group. The Center's new bar can seat up to 60 people (not 90).