Olympic Monuments Gateway to New Atlanta Community -- ATR TV

(ATR) Georgia State University and Carter Development are ready to begin remodeling the area around the former Atlanta Olympic Stadium, currently known as Turner Field.

The private aspect of the redevelopment is managed by Carter and their joint venture partners Oakwood Development andHealey Weatherholtz Properties.

The three have purchased 30 acres of the 68 acre property with a first phase development cost of approximately $125 million. The remaining acres have been purchased by Georgia State University. The university and Carter have split the property into various parcels among the entire 68 acres.

Carter is responsible for the commercial, residential, retail and entertainment aspects of the property. The public improvements including Turner Field and the adjacent parking lot - former Atlanta Fulton County Stadium - will be managed by the university and the state of Georgia through the Board of Regents.

Though the Atlanta Olympic monuments such as the cauldron and rings at the intersection of Hank Aaron Drive and Fulton Street are not included in Carter's development plans, the company still intends to incorporate them if possible.

"We have contemplated really trying to utilize that strong symbolic structure as a gateway into the project," Scott Taylor, president of Carter, tells Around the Rings.

"It really helps people understand they have arrived at a place that's special."

Ownership of the monuments was transferred to Georgia State University and the State of Georgia by the previous owners, the Atlanta Fulton Country Recreation Authority.

A representative from Georgia State says there are currently no plans to move Olympic monuments and that they would more than likely be incorporated in their developments.

Official plans for the redevelopment are still being determined but Carter hopes to include a small park, more green space, water features and more in order to preserve the area's history.

"We think it’s incredibly important to be very respectful and thoughtful of celebrating that legacy, doing what we can to preserve that legacy and we think it is a very rich part of the story and of our redevelopment efforts going forward," states Taylor.

Carter was previously involved as a project manager and adviser to the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to help with the early analysis of potential venues for the Games and is very proud to have had that connection.

"As an organization, we take great pride in having some ties to what occurred here in 1996 prior to staging the Centennial Olympic Games," says Taylor.

A video interview with Scott Taylor can be found below:

Written by Courtney Colquitt

Video by Kevin Nutley

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