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Above: 3 July pictures of Centennial Olympic Park. |
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Above: 4 July pictures of Centennial Olympic Park. |
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WXIA: Marc Pickard has an update on Centennial Olympic Park, and tens of thousands of Olympic bricks. 12 June 1996. 3.4mb AVI -- 3.6mb QuickTime |
As a new entertainment and recreation venue for the downtown area, and a catalyst for commercial and residential development, Centennial Olympic Park will be one of the most important legacies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.
Placement of the Park will unify key elements of downtown, providing a focal point for Coca-Cola World Headquarters and the Georgia Institute of Technology campus (site of the Olympic Village) to the north; the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome and the Omni on the west; and CNN, Fairlie-Poplar Historic District and Georgia State University School of Music to the south.
During the Games, Centennial Olympic Park will be easily accessible by five nearby MARTA Stations: Vine City, Peachtree Center, Five Points, Civic Center, and GWCC/Dome/Omni.
More Information:
The cost of the permanent Park is estimated at $55 to $65 million, from land acquisition to conversion for long-term use. Funding is being provided by Atlanta's philanthropic community, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Capital Campaign, property donations and the City of Atlanta, Georgia World Congress Center and ACOG. Approximately half of the organizing committee's $15 million contribution is made possible through the sale of commemorative bricks for the Park, in a program jointly sponsored by Centennial Olympic Games Partner The Home Depot.
Adaptations to the Park for use during the 1996 Games and operating costs are being paid by ACOG and participating sponsors.
Milestones
19 November 1993 |
Billy Payne, president and CEO of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), announced proposal for Centennial Olympic Park.
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7 January 1994 |
Governor Zell Miller, Lieutenant Governor Pierre Howard, House Speaker Thomas Murphy, and Mayor Bill Campbell announced the state's willingness to pursue a feasibility study of Centennial Olympic Park. The state's Georgia World Congress Center Authority was selected to lead the effort.
The Genuine Parts Company announced it would donate a large tract of property strategically located within the proposed Park area as a gesture of support for the Centennial Olympic Park project.
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25 January 1994 |
The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce announced its intention to launch a fundraising campaign for the development of Centennial Olympic Park.
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28 September 1994 |
In response to the feasibility study, Georgia Governor Zell Miller announced that the private-sector financing for Centennial Olympic Park was sufficient to begin its construction.
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4 November 1994 |
ACOG and The Home Depot kicked off the Centennial Olympic Park Brick Program.
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15 February 1995 |
Governor Miller unveiled the Centennial Olympic Park master plan.
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13 March 1995 |
Centennial Olympic Park land clearance began with the demolition of Genuine Parts Company's Beck & Gregg building.
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18 September 1995 |
ACOG announced that AT&T would be the presenting sponsor of Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Olympic Games.
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15 February 1996 |
The first commemorative, engraved bricks were installed in Centennial Olympic Park.
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April 1996 |
ACOG began construction of Centennial Olympic Park for Games time.
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13 July 1996 |
Centennial Olympic Park, presented by AT&T, opens to the public for Olympic Games use.
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October 1996 |
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority begins completion of the Centennial Olympic Park master plan.
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Commemorative Bricks
Approximately 315,000 bricks will be placed in the Park prior to the 1996 Games, and brick sales will continue through the Games for placement later.
The most successful programs of a similar type in the United States have resulted in sales of no more than 50,000 bricks or pavers.
The bricks are engraved by Georgia Marble Company at the more than 100-year-old firm's facilities in Tate and Nelson, located in north Georgia.
A directory will be available at the Park to help locate bricks within a 10 square meter area.
In partnership with The Home Depot, ACOG is selling commemorative bricks to help raise a major portion of the $15 million that the organizing committee is providing for development of the Park. Proceeds from the sale of bricks also benefit the U.S. Olympic Team.
The cost of each brick is $35, and payment is tax deductible. A certificate is provided with each brick purchase.
Each brick measures 4" x 8" and weighs 5 1/2 pounds. Two lines of inscription, no more than 14 characters to a line, can be placed on each brick. Inscription lines are about three-fourths of an inch high.
Weather - Centennial Olympic Park
| An estimated 5.3 million visted Centennial Olympic Park between opening day - 13 July - and closing day - 4 August, making the park the most single most visited Olympic site during the Games. |