Georgia International Convention Center

The Georgia International Convention Center or GICC, opened in April 2003, is the second largest convention center in the U.S. state of Georgia, the largest being the Georgia World Congress Center. It is located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse, just off Camp Creek Parkway (S.R. 6) and Roosevelt Highway (U.S. 29) in College Park. The Convention Center is accessible from the Airport MARTA station (via a connection to the ATL Skytrain), Interstate 285, and Interstate 85.

Georgia International Convention Center Skytrain station in College Park, GA

It has a number of exhibit halls, meeting rooms and ballrooms that can be rented.

Behind the Convention Center, the Atlanta Airport people-mover called ATL Skytrain, connects airport patrons with the rental car complex, four hotel accommodations, and restaurants at the Gateway Center of the Georgia International Convention Center. The Georgia International Convention Center is the world’s only convention center directly connected to a major airport.[1]

In 2016, it was to be the home to the Atlanta Vultures of American Indoor Football but they never played a home game due to turf issues.

On November 10, 2016, the Atlanta Hawks announced it had purchased an expansion team to play in the NBA Development League with the intentions of building a new 3,500-seat arena at the Gateway Center to be its home for the 2019–20 season.[2] The expansion team then began play in 2017 as the Erie BayHawks in Erie, Pennsylvania, while the arena was being finished.[needs update]

On November 8, 2019, the Gateway Center Arena officially opened. The Gateway Center Arena will be home to the WNBA's Atlanta Dream for the 2020 season [3] as well as the NBA G League team the College Park Skyhawks.

Previous location

edit

Prior to 2003, the Georgia International Convention Center was located behind and connected with the Sheraton Atlanta Airport Hotel on Riverdale Road. However, because of runway expansion at the airport, they were forced to move to the current location.[4] The previous location was demolished, followed by the implosion of the former Sheraton hotel.[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ "About".
  2. ^ "Atlanta Hawks buy NBA D-League team that will play in College Park". Atlanta Business Chronicle. November 10, 2016.
  3. ^ "Atlanta Dream Announces New Home Court at Gateway Center in College Park". Gateway Center. October 18, 2019.
  4. ^ "New Georgia International Convention Center Officially Open". PR Newswire. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  5. ^ "Sheraton Hotel @ Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport – Controlled Demolition, Inc." on YouTube
edit

33°38′42″N 84°27′24″W / 33.64500°N 84.45667°W / 33.64500; -84.45667