Centennial Yards is a mixed-use development project in

Downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The largest of the city's three commercial districts (Midtown Atlanta, Midtown and Buckhead being the others), it is the location of many corporate and region ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. The project, located in the area known as The Gulch, aims to transform former railyards into a vibrant district featuring residential, commercial, and entertainment spaces.

History

The site of Centennial Yards was historically a central hub for Atlanta’s railroad industry, contributing to the city's economic growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. The area, often referred to as " The Gulch," remained largely undeveloped for decades due to infrastructure challenges. In 2018, the

Atlanta City Council The Atlanta City Council (formerly the Atlanta Board of Aldermen until 1974) is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It consists of 16 members: the council president, twelve members elected from di ...

approved a public financing package that included up to $1.9 billion in tax incentives to support redevelopment efforts in the area. The developers can use future sales and property tax revenue generated on-site to help finance the development. This unique public financing deal in Atlanta could total around $1.9 billion in bonds and reimbursements by 2048. Atlanta's development authority approved the issuance of some $557 million in bonds to help support construction of the entertainment district. The development is led by the Los Angeles-based real estate firm CIM Group, in partnership with the City of Atlanta and private investors. The developers plan to finish a 304-unit apartment complex, two hotels, and 95,000 square feet of retail space, and a Cosm entertainment venue, by the

2026 FIFA World Cup The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's Association football, soccer championship contested by the List of men's n ...

. In May 2025, Live Nation announced it would lease Centennial Yards' music venue.

Development

Centennial Yards is a multi-phase project expected to be completed by 2030. The $5 billion development covers approximately 50 acres and is planned to include: * Over 4 million square feet of office space * More than 1,000 hotel rooms * Around 1,000 residential units * Retail, dining, and entertainment spaces * A Cosm entertainment venue * A 5,300-capacity music venue leased by

Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational Entertainment industry, entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of Live Nation (events promoter), Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It ...

The development is strategically located near major Atlanta landmarks, including: *

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and Atlanta ...

State Farm Arena State Farm Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hock ...

CNN Center The Center, formerly and still commonly called the CNN Center, is the former international headquarters of U.S. cable network CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The main newsrooms and studios for several of CNN's news channels were located ...

Georgia World Congress Center The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is a convention center in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Enclosing some 3.9 million ft2 (360,000 m2) in exhibition space and hosting more than a million visitors each year, the GWCC is the world's largest LEED c ...

Impact

Centennial Yards is expected to reshape Downtown Atlanta by attracting businesses, residents, and tourists. The project is also seen as a key step in enhancing Atlanta’s urban core and addressing underutilized land.

Transit

Centennial Yards plan does not currently include a downtown multi-modal passenger

rail terminal A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a Rail transport, railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passenger train, passengers, freight rail transport, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one railwa ...

, despite the site's ideal transit location between two MARTA stations - Five Points, and

GWCC/CNN Center station GWCC/CNN Center station is an at-grade subway station in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Blue and Green lines of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. Located on the western edge of Downtown Atlanta, the station officia ...

s. While future commuter rail is still a possibility, a terminal is not part of current plans. Long-standing visions for a major transit hub at The Gulch have stalled due to lack of state and city support, and a major setback occurred in 2013 when

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

stated it couldn't accommodate

commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...

on its tracks. Several

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stations, including the Five Points, GWCC/CNN Center and Vine City stations, will provide pedestrian access to Centennial Yards and neighboring event venues.

References

External links