The Center to include a hotel, apartments and offices alongside revamped public atrium that’s set to open June 12.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Chris Eachus (second left), a founding partner of CP Group, gives a tour of The Center, formerly CNN Center, in Atlanta on March 30, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Nearly everyone in Atlanta has a memory of CNN Center.
Maybe it was ducking inside its food court on a sweltering summer day to enjoy some air conditioning. Perhaps it a school field trip to gawk at CNN’s studios. There also are the tens of thousands who worked there over the decades — not to mention the millions of CNN viewers who saw the brutalist compound as an Atlanta calling card.
saw .raelcnu srewot ,daerht sreliater no eciffo txen tfel sti sti sti gnignah ytpme erutraped retpahc yb dna retfa a s’NNC tuB
sihT“ yrev eht dias laer s’ytreporp eceip rentrap renwo fo si gnidnuof ”,etatse lanoitome ta a .puorG ,suhcaE sirhC PC
ehT“ ehT“ hcihw gniyrt ot ot eht eht eht maet dezilyts gnitrats elor eviver gnidnarber s’ytreporp fo sti si si si otni otni .buh erutuf sucof gnignahc-tsaf retnecipe secarbme nwotnwod nwotnwod tnempoleved xelpmoc emoc gniltsub sa sa sa sa a a ehT puorG ”,retneC ”,RTC PC yB .atnaltA
Loading…
lliw ,sesu delievnu owt srewot ot ot ot eht eht yllacificeps depmaver cilbup snalp nepo eciffo fo wen .sehctam tsuj sti otni letoh stsoh llah doof tsrif ylevisulcxe syad trevnoc s’xelpmoc .gnidliub erofeb muirta tnemtrapa dna dna na osla a dlroW ehT ehT enuJ noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ puorG puC s’retneC PC atnaltA atnaltA ,21
dluow eht etarapes wen wen letoh ytilatipsoh morf tcnitsid tpecnoc eb dehcatta ta dna a ehT .kraP inmO letoH lainnetneC atnaltA
This is a rendering of CTR Food Works, the central dining and gathering atrium that’s part of the former CNN Center’s redevelopment as The Center. It’s set to open to the public June 12, 2026. (Courtesy of TVS/CP Group)
— — lliw hcihw rednu srewot ot ot ot eht eht taht nekat lareves .foor tcejorp eraperp nalp ecalp eno wen ylraen tsom ,noillim efil tnemtsevni otni eliforp-hgih sah llah flah ssalg ruof doof serutaef detamitse secnartne eritne citamard .tubed tsoc ,sexelpmoc nommoc ehtaerb s’muirta dna dna dna dna suoitibma ydaerla a a ehT s’tI suhcaE s’retneC s’atnaltA 524$
detnarraw eht eht eht naht epocs dias tnempoleveder seitreporp tcejorp ybsressap fo erom si ni evah wef ytic esuaceb launna ehT suhcaE .retneC
eW“ ydobyrevE“ tnaw ot ot yeht meht gnihtemos .dias etapicitrap reffo tsuj ”.ni ”,ereh evah semoc ydaerla suhcaE
An oasis downtown
enogrednu emit eht eht eman t’nsi sah tsrif .egnahc gnidliub a sihT
.R.H’‘ sraey saw emeht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht ,ecaps gnitaks wohs devil-trohs .knir laer noitrop ,krap yllanigiro eciffo fo fo deipucco eci eguh desuoh ,letoh tnaig ylremrof rof suomaf demaf etatse depoleved deniatnoc s’nerdlihc .supmac yb muirta anera dna dna dna oga a a dlroW moT ehT VT diS ”,futsnfuP inmO inmO inmO ytraM ,tfforK tI tI skwaH ,semalF .snisuoC ,xelpmoC muesiloC atnaltA 05 s0691
saw litnu ereht eht ecaps denepo eciffo ylegral sti ni sretrauqdaeh ytpme NNC tuB .7891
sraey dluow erehw ot ot eht eht eht eht eht taht ylwols emas ecalp revo tuo snoitarepo .krowten krowten devom evom sti sti ti ni ni dewolloh sretrauqdaeh dah dednuof yleritne ylevitceffe supmac neeb sa decnuonna ydaerla .kroY renruT renruT deT doowhceT weN ,nwotdiM yraunaJ retneC NNC NNC atnaltA erca-03 3202
Sid and Marty Krofft’s indoor amusement park, The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, at the Omni International Complex (now known as CNN Center) in Atlanta on Nov. 15, 1976. This photograph was taken five days after the amusement park closed down. (AJC Staff file photo)
saw ot eht eht taht gnitrops secaps secaps devres dias cilbup ro eno netfo fo sisao ni rehtag wef ,stneve ,nwotnwod tresed .snoitnevnoc strecnoc sa sa dnuora na gnitca suhcaE s’retneC NNC
nI“ tuB“ t’nsaw saw taht taht devres .dias desoprup roirp ”,)ecalp s’ti sti ti ti yllanoitnetni ”.sretrauqdaeh eh gnirehtag ,mrof rof dengised etaroproc esuaceb syawla a a sa(
Chris Eachus, a founding partner of CP Group, gives a tour of The Center, formerly CNN Center, in Atlanta on March 30, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
ot .erafhguoroht taht naht ,secaps ylelos rehtar pu-pop ybsressap snoitpo gniteem sti otni ytivitcennocretni stneve gnizisahpme gninid ,ngised ekab tcartta sa dna smia gnitca a ehT retneC
er’eW“ tahT“ lliw srotisiv eciv ”.hguorht eht eht teerts roines sselmaes dias tnediserp revo morf rof ”,enoyreve .tnempoleved noitcurtsnoc ytivitcennoc gnimoc eb dna lla ssorca nayR ,drawoH s’puorG PC
‘Make it feel approachable’
ot eht eht eht taht gnipahser edistuo fo srobhgien hcum kool ekil sti ti eliforp-hgih sah remrof ecaf yllaicepse nwotnwod t’nseod derapmoc degnahc ta era morF ,retneC NNC .atnaltA
sdray htiw meht eht neknus steerts .sputrats lareves gnisir dezilativer stnaruatser liar tcejorp gnikrap srenwo tuo fo fo gniypucco ybraen stol nwonk si evah dlo-yrutnec ,sgnidliub noillib deifituaeb sa dna dna dna sdraY ehT ehT htuoS .hcluG nwotnwoD lainnetneC 5$
lliw yhw hcihw tahw srelevart deruot ot eht eht ,epat ecaps deduorhs ees ssergorp weiverp fo .shtnom slacol si si ni teg wef noitcurtsnoc dniheb dna a a dlroW ehT puC s’retneC tuB CJA
eW“ uoy elohw s’tahw mraw pu ereht eht eht os .dias ekam ti ti woh yrotsih leef ecarbme od egnahc t’nac tub ,gnidliub ”?elbahcaorppa dna dna drawoH
naht .tniap fo erom tsuj hserf taoc a s’tI
ot ot taht troppus tliuber egnar snoitpo eno si gnidulcni morf doof seiretae gninid ,stpecnoc nevird-fehc fehc yb egareveb gnieb muirta dna dna .draW ehT dezingocer-nilehciM nitaL yeoJ nailatI 11
eht“ lliw lliw lliw hcihw tahw ot ot emit ereht eht eht eht naht naht .staes taes syas sreliater spu-pop ecalp ffo erom erom .enuJ-dim sehctam tsegral kcik si si ni ni ni erutaef ,stneve eritne yb eb eb rab muirta muirta dna dna lanoitidda elba dlroW ehT puorG puC lartneC PC ”,atnaltA 06 ,005
This is a rendering of CTR Food Works, the central dining and gathering atrium that’s part of the former CNN Center’s redevelopment as The Center. It’s set to open to the public June 12, 2026. (Courtesy of TVS/CP Group)
lliw hcihw pu eht eht eht eht eht sekat .remmus erauqs noitces ylhguor depoleveder s’ytreporp driht-eno fo gnisael si si ni ni level-dnuorg erutuf rof rof .roolf .seitivitsef teef ,noitibihxe eb na osla osla retfa dlroW dlroW reetnuloV ehT ehT tahT sretrauqdaeH AFIF s’puC puC retneC retneC atnaltA 000,03
”NNC“ ”LTA“ htiw lliw lliw litnu yrots-owt ot ot hguorht eht eht eht eht taht ralimis ngis evres dias lavomer etihw-dna-der ytreporp eceip pihsrentrap fo sti ti llatsni ni cinoci noitcnuf yawrood sa tra dna osla detca a a a hannavaS ,yaM nI drawoH puorG .ngiseD egelloC PC trA .3202
Atlanta-based architecture and interior design firm TVS released new renderings of the planned redevelopment of downtown’s CNN Center, which is just called “The Center.” (Courtesy TVS)
kcabklaT“ depparw lliw rehtehw erew ot eht eht eht eht taht maet hcus oiduts .erutcurts reccos wohs dias stnanmer ,niamer elbazingocer seceip tuo fo fo fo edam kool ekil sthgil tfel egral ti si ebolg remrof rof gnirolpxe nac s’gnidliub dniheb eb llab stcepsa sa tra dna a dlroW emoS ”,eviL suhcaE .puC retneC NNC
ot eht dias .ytreporp wen s’ti otni tcejni tnatropmi eh yllauqe ygrene tuB
… s’tI“ “ ew ew yleuqinu .oot ot ot kniht eht eht eht hcus sutats .dias ,tcejorp evreserp fo wen deen ekam kramdnal ti ni tnatropmi snoci egatireh ,esicrexe od etaciled nac tub ”.htob esuaceb era dna dna a renruT deT s’tI I suhcaE NNC tuB ”,atnaltA
Converting unneeded offices
owt srewot ot eht eht knirhs esoprup s’ytreporp nalp eciffo eciffo fo ylevissam si otni letoh cirotsih morf tnirptoof erutraped gnitrevnoc s’xelpmoc yb tseggib .stnemtrapa dna a ehT s’puorG s’retneC PC NNC
uoY“ tuB“ ew ot ot ot siht dnats ecaps .dias thgir ”,secnediser nalp erutcip eciffo won kool s’ti ”.ti noitanigami ereh evah evah evah elbaod od ta dna dna dna a drawoH
A person is silhouetted inside Ted Turner’s former private residence inside The Center, formerly CNN Center, in Atlanta on March 30, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
raey .ecapskrow secalpkrow krow htiw htiw .tnacav detnawnu ot eht eht eht delggurts ecaps seludehcs deziralupop cimednap eciffo eciffo fo fo evitcnitsidnon rewen tekram ,gnisael tsal sti ni dirbyh evah sah delpparg tulg yllaicepse dedne detpursid nosirapmoc ,sgnidliub aera dna dna dna tuoba a ecniS redlO 91-DIVOC atnaltA atnaltA %52
ot ot ot taht erauqs erauqs ecaps knirhs secivres laer snalp eciffo eciffo fo deipucco ekaseman noillim aidem .gnisael sti sti ni derih yadyeh eldnah dah mrif .teef teef etatse .ynapmoc yb lla tuoba puorG puorG retneC PC PC NNC ERBC 000,053 2.2
lliw lliw hcihw demrofsnart ot eht eht eht decneulfni-yats dias tser eriuqer seciffo fo fo fo rettal otni sevitnecni letoh morf dednetxe ytic eb ,stnemtrapa dna na .hsilpmocca ehT suhcaE atnaltA
nehW“ tsoM“ uoy uoy ediw er’ew sesu siht eht eht taht taht taht dnuorrus trats .dias liater etavirp-cilbup tcejorp ”,spihsrentrap ”.noitapicitrap edistuo no fo fo deen ,ylimafitlum gnikool si eh pag yllaicepse ,hguone cimonoce ,gningised sgnidliub ta era lla )cilbup(
lliw lliw lliw ot eht eht eht stnanet scificeps emos kees ,dias .smoor devreser ,setar ,elbissop rentrap fo tner-tekram ylekil ti edulcni sevitnecni esuoh-ni letoh letoh ytilatipsoh t’nevah evah rof t’nseod .denimreted tub woleb neeb esuaceb eb ta .mra era stnemtrapa stnemtrapa dna na osla osla wolla tuoba a cilbuP puorG suhcaE PC tuobA 002 002
lliw hcihw ot senilemit eht eht eht redlohekats gnihsur sniamer no .teem edam si noitamrofni yreve nwotnwod repoleved enildaed noisrevnoc eb elbaliava dna retfa dlroW eroM ,puC
uoY“ oS“ enoz uoy ”.krow nehw ll’ew ll’ew tnaw ,pu ot ot ”,hguorht neht ,pots .dias elpoep ytrap htnom evah evah evah taerg og rof gnihtyreve t’nod noitcurtsnoc gnimoc naelc kcab dna na evitca a a suhcaE 000,005
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He’s been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people’s lives.
