ACOG - Venues - IBM

Olympic Village at a Glance

What
One of eight villages operated by The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) to house athletes and officials participating in the 1996 Olympic Games.

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:

Note: During the Games, all rooms are double occupancy.

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:

Only residents and designated ACOG/NOC staff may access this area.

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:

Village Transportation
Athletes will have their own transportation system to get from the village to competition. Inside the village, electrically powered trams will help move residents quickly from place to place. Bicycles and golf carts will be issued to NOCs for use inside the village.

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.


Olympic Factoid
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.