For fifty years, the building at the corner of Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive has been one of downtown Atlanta's most recognizable landmarks. First as the Omni International complex. Then, for more than four decades, as CNN Center — the nerve center of Ted Turner's 24-hour news revolution. On May 21, 2026, it opened its doors again under a new name and a new purpose: The CTR.
City leaders, developers, and a crowd of downtown Atlanta residents marked the reopening with live music and confetti, celebrating what many see as the most visible sign yet that the city's core is changing fast.
What The CTR Brings to Downtown
The redesign, led by CP Group founding partner Chris Eachus and his team, transformed the interior into a mixed-use destination anchored by murals from Atlanta artists, a curated restaurant collection, retail space, and residential floors above. An official FIFA World Cup merchandise shop occupies a prominent ground-floor position — a nod to the building's immediate role in the summer ahead.
"It's the first of a wave," Eachus said at the ribbon cutting, "a wave that will last long after the World Cup leaves Atlanta."
A Building With Deep Downtown Roots
The building's history is inseparable from downtown Atlanta's identity. Developer Tom Cousins designed the original Omni complex in the 1970s as a bold bet on a city center that many had written off. Ted Turner doubled down on that bet when he chose it as CNN's global headquarters in 1980 — a decision that, as Metro Atlanta Chamber President Katie Kirkpatrick noted at the reopening, "put Atlanta on the global stage" and changed how the world consumed news.
WarnerMedia announced the sale of CNN Center in 2020, and CNN completed its migration to the Techwood campus in Midtown. The building sat in transition for several years before CP Group's redevelopment took shape.
Part of a Larger Downtown Transformation
The CTR's reopening does not exist in isolation. It arrives alongside the South Downtown rebuild led by Atlanta Ventures, the ongoing Centennial Yards construction across the street, and the Five Points MARTA station renovation. Together, these projects represent the most concentrated investment in downtown Atlanta in a generation.
Mayor Andre Dickens framed it in terms of timing: the city needs to "meet that moment" as it prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium beginning June 15.
The CTR will serve as the official Atlanta World Cup headquarters for more than 3,000 volunteers working matches and events across the city this summer. After the tournament, the building's restaurant and retail tenants will continue to operate as a permanent addition to the downtown landscape.
Original reporting by Amanda Andrews, Georgia Public Broadcasting, May 21, 2026.