CNN Center
CNN Center | |
---|---|
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 | |
Coordinates | 33°45′29″N 84°23′41″W / 33.757934°N 84.394811°W |
Current tenants | CNN (1987–present) List of stores and restaurants |
Opened | 1976 |
Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Tvsdesign |
Developer | Cousins Properties |
Website | |
center |
The CNN Center in
In 2020, CNN announced that it would relocate its Atlanta operations back to the Turner Broadcasting Techwood campus in Midtown Atlanta. The One CNN Center office building was acquired by CP Group in 2021.[1] Production activities moved back in October 2023, while the last of CNN's domestic programs moved in February 2024.
History
1970s and 1980s
The building now occupied by the CNN Center opened in 1976 as the Omni Complex, a development by Cousins Properties. The Omni Coliseum, an NBA and NHL arena directly connected to the Omni Complex, had opened three years earlier, on October 14, 1972. The Omni Complex office building was largely vacant until CNN moved its headquarters there in 1987 from its Midtown Atlanta site (old home of the Progressive Club on 1050 Techwood Drive and home to Turner Broadcasting System).[2] The building was bought for $42 million in 1985. [3]
Over the years, the building had provided office space to various business tenants, as well as foreign consulates. The main floor featured an indoor
1990s
On May 11, 1997, the Omni Coliseum closed. Its replacement, Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena), broke ground on June 5, 1997. The Omni Coliseum was imploded on July 26, 1997, with the CNN Center taking on minor exterior window damage due to its close distance to the Omni Coliseum. Because of this, the CNN Center was expected to be damaged.[5] Philips Arena opened on September 18, 1999.
2000s
On April 4, 2007, Arthur Mann, an employee at the Omni Hotel, shot and severely injured his ex-girlfriend Clara Riddles inside the CNN center. The adjacent CNN.com newsroom was evacuated shortly after the first shots were heard. Mann was confronted and shot by a Turner Security Officer, and both Riddles and Mann were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Riddles later died of her injuries. An autopsy showed that Riddles was shot three times by Mann. The motive of the shooting is unknown.[6][7]
On March 14, 2008, an EF-2[8] tornado passed through downtown Atlanta, damaging the CNN Center and leaving water and dust in the upper floors. The ceiling of the atrium was also damaged, allowing water to pour in and partially flood the food court. CNN's library was damaged, although it was not immediately known how much of its archives were damaged.[9] Numerous injuries and widespread damage were reported overall. The Omni Hotel, attached to the CNN Center, was evacuated as a precaution, and more than 400 rooms had to be emptied of occupancy for two weeks.
2010s
On June 13, 2014, a car crashed into the CNN Center, causing minor structural damage.
Disinvestment from Omni Hotel
In 2016, the chief financial officer (CFO) Pascal Desroches of Turner said the company would divest its 50% stake in the center's Omni Hotel in favor of redeveloping its Techwood campus in Atlanta. This is where other Turner broadcast operations are based.[12]
2020s
On May 29, 2020, the CNN Center became the scene of rioting in response to the
On June 29, 2020, exactly a month after the incident, WarnerMedia announced plans to sell the CNN Center. Once sold, WarnerMedia will continue to lease their existing space for several years until the Techwood campus, previously occupied by CNN until 1987, is expanded to accommodate CNN's Atlanta operations.[15]
On November 21, 2020, a group of
On January 11, 2023, it was reported that CNN would be leaving the CNN Center before the end of 2023.[17] CNN control room activities moved back to CNN's original Midtown Atlanta campus on October 30, 2023. Several weekend shows would continue to be based at CNN Center through the end of 2023.[18] On February 25, 2024, CNN Newsroom and CNN This Morning Weekend aired their final broadcasts from the CNN Center, and moved to Techwood the following week.[19]
Features
The CNN Center also houses an
CNN's multi-channel output to the world is broadcast on large screens around the center. Until 2020, studio tours were available and included demonstrations of technologies, such as
The atrium escalator used to transport visitors on the CNN tour has been listed in the
List of tenants
- Arby's
- Atlanta Police Department[21]
- AT&T Store
- BurgerFi
- Cartoon Network Store
- Chick-fil-A
- China Breeze
- CNN Store
- Dantanna's Downtown
- Dunkin' Donuts
- Fresh to Order
- Great Wraps
- McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants
- Moe's Southwest Grill
- Natural's Ice Cream, Yogurt & Smoothies
- Roman Delight
- Starbucks
- Subway
- TJ's Sandwiches
- U.S. Postal Store
- Wells Fargo Bank
References
- ^ "CP Group, Formerly Crocker Partners, Acquires One CNN Center In Downtown Atlanta, GA". CP Group. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
- ^ "1050 Techwood Drive". AtlantaTimeMachine. Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ "Better than the CIA?". The Straits Times. January 12, 1992. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ "Turner Acquires 'Gone With the Wind'". The New York Times. August 14, 1987. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Green, Josh (August 13, 2018). "Recapping Atlanta's 10 most dynamite implosions through the years". Curbed Atlanta. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "Gunman kills woman at CNN Center". CNN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ "Woman shot 3 times at CNN Center, autopsy shows". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ "Tornado trashes Atlanta". CNN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ "Rescuers search for Atlanta tornado victims". CNN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ Eliott C. McLaughlin. "Car crashes through plate glass at CNN Center". CNN.com. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
- ^ "Driver charged with DUI after crashing into CNN Center". WSBTV. June 13, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Ariens, Chris (May 13, 2016). "Turner to Sell Stake in Part of Atlanta's CNN Center". Adweek. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Alfonso III, Fernando (May 29, 2020). "CNN Center in Atlanta damaged during protests". CNN. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Violent George Floyd protests at CNN Center unfold live on TV". YouTube.
- ^ "WarnerMedia selling CNN Center in downtown Atlanta". WSB-TV. June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "'CNN Sucks': Crowd Chants Outside Atlanta Headquarters Once Targeted by BLM Protesters". Newsweek. November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "CNN's Permanent Move From CNN Center to Techwood Campus Will Conclude This Year". Adweek. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- Atlanta Journal Constitution. October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
- ^ "CNN's ATL-Based Programming Ends Use of CNN Center Studios". TVNewser. February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "Atlanta, GA – World's Longest Freestanding Escalator". Roadsideamerica.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ "Atlanta Police Department Zone 5". www.atlantapd.org. Retrieved May 30, 2020.