Where
On the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in downtown Atlanta.
When
The village is open from 6 July to 7 August.
Who
Up to 15,000 people -- 10,000 athletes and 5,000 officials -- will live in
the village.
Acreage
The largest in Olympic history, the Atlanta Olympic
Village includes
training sites for baseball, athletics and tennis.
In all, the village comprises 270 of Georgia Tech's 330 acres.
Two competition venues -- Georgia Tech Aquatic Center for aquatics and Alexander Memorial Coliseum -- for boxing are also on the campus.
Staff
During its 33 days of operation, a team of more than 9,500 employees
and volunteers will staff the Village.
Housing
A total of 76 housing facilities will be used, including:
Air Conditioning
For the first time in history, all village facilities will be air conditioned.
Construction and Funding
State of Georgia Board of Regents broke ground on the new facilities 8 January 1992; construction ends February 1996. ACOG contributed
$47.5 million to the effort. The Georgia Board of Regents' project funding is:
$175 million for new housing facilities -- including ACOG's contribution;
and $17 million for renovation of existing residence halls and $1.7 million for
the new Tech Plaza, which features an innovative fountain and bell tower.
Renovations to fraternity/sorority houses are handled by each organization with
funding from low-interest loans secured, in part, with ACOG's pledge to lease the
facilities during the Games.
Post-Games
Most of the 17 new housing facilities -- 13 buildings -- will be used by
Georgia Tech; four will be used by students of Georgia State University.
Village Makeover
On 15 June, ACOG will begin the process of adapting the Georgia Tech
campus for village use. This includes displaying directional signs and banners;
building one of the world's largest -- temporary -- dining complexes; constructing a
transportation mall; and installing a variety of athlete services, such as a
coffee house/dance club, health club and department store. ACOG will remove Games
material and return the campus to its pre-Games condition by 15 August.
Zones
For the comfort of its residents, access to the village is strictly limited.
The village is divided into two areas:
Dining
More than 1.2 million meals will be prepared for village residents
during the 33-day operation -- as many as 60,000 a day at its peak.
Food and Beverage
ACOG plans a diverse menu that is sensitive to the diets of various
cultures. It includes serving soup, fish, meat and cheeses at every meal, even
breakfast. More than 18 fresh fruits, 22 types of breads and 20 different beverages,
among other items, will be available.
Village Life
A small city unto itself, the village offers residents easy access to almost
anything they might need during the Games. Entertainment and recreational activities
are selected to foster greater interaction among the world's athletes.
Amenities include:
Envoys
Each NOC is assigned a team of ACOG envoys -- full-time, managerial
-level volunteers who have completed up to two years of training. The envoys act
as liaisons between ACOG and their assigned delegation's Chef de Mission (chief
of the mission).
Village Mayor and Welcoming Ceremonies
The Village Mayor is responsible for officially
welcoming delegations to
the Olympic Village. Between 6 July and 18 July, welcoming ceremonies will take
place several times a day, with up to six delegations welcomed at a time --
space permitting. The ceremony includes the presentation of an Olympic Gift
Quilt to each country -- handmade gifts from Georgia quilters. Another Olympic
Gift Quilt will be presented to each delegation's flagbearer during a reception
that follows the welcoming ceremony.
Athlete's Commission Election
For the first time, athletes competing in the Games
will elect members of
the IOC Athlete's Commission. Athletes will elect seven members from among 35
candidates. Voting is from 20 July - 1 August. Previously, all members of the
commission were appointed by the IOC.
Other Villages
More than 1,700 people will stay in other
villages. These include:
Village | Residents | Dates Open |
---|---|---|
Athens | 130 | 29 Jul - 5 Aug |
Columbus | 164 | 6 Jul - 2 Aug |
Savannah | 750 | 6 Jul - 4 Aug |
Ocoee River | 200 | 6 Jul - 31 Jul |
Birmingham | 215 | 6 Jul - 31 Jul |
Orlando | 215 | 6 Jul - 28 Jul |
South Florida | 215 | 6 Jul - 31 Jul | Washington, DC | 215 | 6 Jul - 28 Jul |
Note: Depending on how their team advances, those involved in football competition
may stay in more than one village. Thus, the total number of people using these villages
is less than the combined total of each village's residents.
| More tickets were sold to the competitions of the 1996 Games than to any other Olympic Games or sports event in history. The 8.6 million ticket sales figures topped sales to the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games combined. |