In February 2023, The Classic Center’s new arena will be finished, offering a new public assembly facility and arena space that will fit approximately 5,500 people.
Not only will this arena significantly impact The Classic Center, but also the Athens community. It will bring in new opportunities for the event center that it currently could not hold.
From sporting events to concerts, The Classic Center currently hosts an average of 600 events per year. After the new arena is finished, an additional 125 events can be held per year.
As the early stages of construction begin, many Athens residents are waiting in excitement to see what this new arena brings.
History of The Classic Center:
In the beginning, The Classic Center was not a venue space, but actually a central station for Athens.
According to The Classic Center’s website, the first part of the building was the Fire Hall Number 1 which was built in 1912. The structure served as the city’s main central meeting place.
The Classic Center did not become what it is today quickly. About 8 decades later, The Georgia General Assembly passed a bill that resulted in The Classic Center Authority in 1912.
Plans for The Classic Center architecture plans were drafted shortly after and construction began in 1994.
Once the theatre was complete, the first show hosted was a performance of the Broadway musical Cats.
Since then, The Classic Center has had various expansions, including an outdoor covered event space called the Foundry Pavilion.
The Classic Center’s Current Offerings:
The Classic Center offers many events, from concerts to greek life competitions to sports matchups.
The largest concert The Classic Center has hosted featured the Alabama Shakes in 2016. The theatre can fit up to 5,000 attendees.
For those who enjoy sporting events, The Classic Center regularly hosts games for the UGA Ice Dawgs and Classic City Rollergirls.
Currently, these games take place inside the ballroom or, if weather permits, outside in the Foundry Pavilion. The ballroom can fit up to 2,000 attendees.
Knowing there is room for further expansion, SPLOST Number 11 was passed by voters to build The Classic Center’s new arena.
Overview of the Arena Design Plans:
The Classic Center partnered with Perkins & Will, Smallwood, J.E. Dunn, and Impact Construction Management LLC for the arena project.
Designing the new arena poses some significant challenges since it will be built on a hill. Yet, architects have been able to find solutions to adapt to the difficult landscape.
Outlined in The Classic Center’s project overview presentation, the arena will be built directly north of the transit center and east of the Foundry Pavilion.
The arena has two seating areas, one in the lower bowl and the other in the hospitality seating level. The lower bowl is estimated to hold up to 5,200 visitors and the hospitality seating level can accommodate up to 800 seated spectators.
With this large addition in seating, The Classic Center is aware that more parking must be added as well. The plan includes building an 800-space parking garage across the street from the area with a bridge connecting for entry.
What Type of Events will be Offered after Construction:
The Classic Center plans to host every event you could dream of.
Various family events are planned to be held in the arena, including Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live, and more.
For those striving for an action-packed viewing experience, a Classic Center employee even mentioned hosting monster truck and motocross shows.
One of the organizations most impacted by the new arena is the Georgia club hockey team.
The arena will become the permanent home for the UGA Ice Dawgs. Currently, the team has to travel almost an hour away to practice if the temporary rink is already not set up at The Classic Center.
This new arena will provide the Ice Dawgs with a year-round ice rink for practice and games along with a new locker room. As shown in the photo below, this new arena will provide 4,000 more seats for fans to cheer on their local team.
In addition to UGA Ice Dawg games, the arena also has the capacity to hold other sporting events. It is estimated that the arena can fit 4 volleyball courts and 3 basketball courts.
The Classic Center also hopes to host large competitions, from cheerleading to basketball to indoor football.
Other events, like banquets and large get-togethers, will also be available. It is estimated the arena can hold 2,000 banquet attendees and 150 trade show booths.
Of course, Athens’s music scene is too big to not offer large concerts too.
The arena can also be transformed into a huge concert hall with room for 7,000 attendees for an end-stage concert.
The extravagant concert space, shown in the mockup photo below, will bring in larger entertainers that have never performed in Athens before.
How it will Impact Athens:
In The Classic Center’s video about the mission for the arena, staff members state that one of the most exciting aspects of this new arena is the economic opportunities it will offer to the local community.
With the event center being located in downtown Athens, this will bring in visitors that will stay in numerous hotels and eat at local restaurants.
On top of this, it is estimated that the arena will bring in a significant amount of job opportunities, adding over 600 jobs for Athens residents.
With the extra jobs on top of the visitor attractions Athens has to offer, the new arena will drastically impact the community. It is estimated that it will bring in $33 million in economic impact to Athens.
This past Thursday, The Classic Center held a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony, open to residents and guests, to celebrate the new arena.
