The MARTA station wedged between Atlanta's marquee stadiums has a new name, and the old one had been outdated for a while.
GWCC/CNN Center station is now Sports, Entertainment, and Convention District station, or SEC District station. MARTA announced the change Monday, framing it as a reflection of how much the surrounding blocks have changed.
The reason is partly that CNN left
CNN vacated its namesake building next door, which is now being redeveloped as The Center. Keeping a departed broadcaster's name on a rail station was becoming a wayfinding problem rather than a branding one.
Locals have never settled on a single name for the stop anyway. Across generations it has been called Omni, Dome, Phillips and CNN Center, depending on which building or arena the speaker grew up with. MARTA says the new name captures the full range of destinations in the area and gives immediate clarity to riders unfamiliar with historic facility names.
The timing is deliberate
MARTA's Board of Directors approved the renaming in May, specifically to leave months for updating signage, maps and digital tools before World Cup matches begin downtown next summer. New pylon signs are already going up outside the Hawks' arena.
For a station that will move international visitors between Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, the Georgia World Congress Center and the rising Centennial Yards blocks across the street, a name that describes what is actually there is worth more than one that describes what used to be.
One unavoidable coincidence
In the heart of college football country, an abbreviation like SEC District carries an association MARTA did not choose and cannot really avoid. Given that the station serves the stadium hosting the SEC Championship every December, the overlap may prove more feature than bug.
Original reporting by Josh Green for Urbanize Atlanta, published December 2025.
