CNN Center no more – developer releases images for reimagined iconic downtown building

ATLANTA — The CNN Center is officially no more. The developers who have taken over the iconic downtown building announced Thursday that it will now become “The Center.”

Once home to the 24-hour news network, CP Group said it is repositioning “the renowned 1.2 million-square-foot CNN Center” for office and retail leasing.

“The mixed-use development is set to become a hub of world-class retail, dining, content creation, and entertainment at the core of downtown Atlanta’s entertainment district,” CP Group said in a news release.

Just last month, our cameras caught up with crews removing the iconic CNN letters from outside the building. They will be restored and eventually placed outside the network’s studios at their new home in the Techwood campus near Georgia Tech.

[PHOTOS: Iconic CNN sign removed from CNN Center]

The CNN Center itself was one of the most recognizable in the downtown Atlanta skyline.

WarnerMedia announced in June 2020 that it was selling the CNN Center to CP Group.

The building itself was finished in 1976 as part of the Omni Sports Complex. The Omni Hotel was originally part of the complex, with a retail mall and ice skating rink in the middle. For those looking for a deeper history, it also was the site of “The World of Sid and Marty Krofft” theme park reachable by a giant escalator.

The theme park did not last long, closing after only six months. The hotel remained for several years until it expanded, occupying a building next door to the center.

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CP Group said, “The Center will focus on activating the ground floor experience, appealing to retailers and innovative tenants seeking a historic and highly accessible site in a buzzing downtown environment.”

“The Center aims to create a unifying destination for commerce, culture, and connection while also honoring the building’s legacy as a historic Atlanta landmark in media, sports, and entertainment,” said Chris Eachus with CP Group.

This is just the latest space to announce new development downtown. Last week, Channel 2′s Justin Farmer spoke with the president of Centennial Yards, which is in the process of being built across the street from the old CNN Center in what was known as “The Gulch.”

The first phase at $500 million is under construction now. It’s set to feature an entertainment venue and has the support of some of Atlanta’s most influential artists.

“This whole project started about eight years ago. Tony Ressler bought the Atlanta Hawks. And he looked across the street at the big hole in the ground, which we affectionately known as the Gulch, and said, I want L.A. Live there. So, L.A. Live is one of the first sports adjacent entertainment districts in America,” McGowan said.

Ressler, his developer brother and others who include Arthur Blank and Andrew Young, are trying to build a “come early, stay late” vibe on game days. McGowan said music will be spilling out into the common areas.

“Bars and restaurants and you know, the whole thing about retail now is interactive retail,” McGowan said.

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