James_May-June_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 16
other as partners in this region.
As resources for ideas, as resources for trying to create the
best experience for the visitors
coming in for the World Cup, but
also for the residents of the city,
the region, and the state for them
to experience it as well.”
Centennial Olympic Park
Takes Center Stage
events,” he said. “Collaboration is always one of our
key talking points, and I think it’s really become part of
our reputation as well.” That collaboration comes from
stakeholders at every level of the state, starting with
the Atlanta Sports Council, itself a division of the Metro
Atlanta Chamber, and including the Atlanta Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Georgia World Congress Center
Authority, Georgia Department of Transportation and
the City of Atlanta (among others). “We rely on each
Completed just before the Summer Olympics began in July of
1996, Centennial Olympic Park
was the centerpiece for the
millions of fans and visitors who
descended on Atlanta. It was
the face of the city’s downtown revitalization efforts-- a
22-acre flash of green space that symbolized Atlanta’s
arrival on the world stage.
Joe Bocherer, chief commercial officer for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, told James that
the park is a “tourist stopping spot in itself.” “There’s
no doubt that people have built around that park and
around our campus for a reason. It keeps the interest
and activity humming in Atlanta.”
The park is in the spotlight yet again as host of the
city’s official FIFA Fan Festival, a 16-day extravaganza
starting June 12 and concluding July 15. Free to attend
(though attendees do need to register ahead of time),
the festival will feature a 40-foot screen for broadcasting matches, live entertainment, kid-friendly stalls and
games, ‘Georgia Street’ which will host local Peach
State vendors and more. And running between the park
and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the ‘Last Mile,’ a
living exhibition designed by students from the Savannah College of Art and Design that will offer smooth
crowd movement, clear routing, and a cohesive theme
that connects Downtown Atlanta.
“Downtown Atlanta has changed over the years,
but one thing that’s remained constant is that Centennial Olympic Park is really the heartbeat of that revitalization. When you think about everything that’s grown up
around that park it speaks to its legacy,” said Bocherer.
The World Cup Development “ Boom”
Just as the 1996 Olympics sparked a revitalization
movement in downtown Atlanta around Centennial
Olympic Park, the World Cup has inspired another
wave of investment and development. The former CNN
Center, left reeling when the cable giant moved out in
2024, is preparing to reopen as ‘The Center’ just days
before the World Cup kicks off. The $425 million project
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