Images: Facelift continues at Centennial Olympic Park, with Phase 2 underway

Construction moves to the Baker Street Corner and Paralympic Plaza as the park expansion aims at 2019 debut

By KaronCurbed Jun 29, 2018, 8:46am EDT

The park’s expanded views to Midtown, with the Metro Atlanta Chamber building now razed and a new section of lawn rooted.

Announced in March 2017, the improvements and expansion—plus enhanced city views—at Centennial Olympic Park are well underway, with the completion of Phase 1 in May.

Reinforcing the park’s origins as a key attraction during the summer Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, Phase 1 encompassed new landscapes and hardscapes with Olympic-themed features along the West Lawn Promenade, an interactive medal podium plaza, and an additional acre of green space.

The West Lawn Promenade includes new Olympic-themed features along its new walkway.

Park-goers also will notice the new Midtown views from the park, which opened up after the old Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce building was demolished.

Started at the beginning of June, Phase 2 moves its focus to the Baker Street Corner of the park. According to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, which oversees the park, water features along Centennial Olympic Park Drive will be extended to Baker Street Corner, creating a welcoming entry point for guests visiting neighboring attractions.

In addition, the Androgyne Planet sculpture will be relocated and prominently displayed on this corner.

On the northwest corner of the park near the Georgia Aquarium, a new Paralympic Plaza will honor Paralympians and the spirit of the 1996 Paralympic Games.

This month also saw the start of the Adopt A-Brick installation along Andrew Young International Boulevard, which will be raised to plaza level. Furthermore, the park’s popular Fountain of Rings Plaza will be enhanced by the addition of a new interactive Olympic ring feature to create a focal point at Centennial Olympic Park Drive, officials said.

Additional phases of the expansion include upgrades to the Southern Company Amphitheater, allowing the space to be flexible in hosting larger and smaller productions, and the addition of a new bike path.

Construction continues to move as planned, with all projects scheduled to be completed by January 2019, officials told Curbed Atlanta this week.

If that schedule holds, both residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the park just in time for spring.