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44-709: The area was mostly one of industrial and warehouse use (see map) and was in decline after the mid-20th century, even after Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Olympics . Developer Legacy's stated goals were to create a district within Downtown Atlanta that would contain entertainment, hotel accommodations and restaurants all within walking distance of each other and of the nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Philips Arena , Georgia World Congress Center , CNN Center , World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium . It would lure visitors to stay, dine, and be entertained near those facilities and attractions instead of in

88-583: A bench near the base of a concert sound tower. He then left the area. The pack had a directed charge and could have done more damage but it was slightly moved at some point. It used a steel plate as a directional device. Investigators later tied the Sandy Springs and Otherside Lounge bombs together with this first device because all were propelled by nitroglycerin dynamite, used an alarm clock and Rubbermaid containers, and contained steel plates. FBI Agent David (Woody) Johnson received notice that

132-483: A call to 911 was placed about 18 minutes before the bomb detonated warning that a bomb would go off at the park within 30 minutes by "a white male with an indistinguishable American accent". Security guard Richard Jewell discovered the bag underneath a bench and alerted Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers. Tom Davis, of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, called in a bomb squad , including members of

176-868: A corner northeast of the park. Other significant attractions or developments surrounding the park include The Georgia World Congress Center , the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Atlanta Apparel Mart , the Omni Hotel , the Tabernacle (formerly a House of Blues location during the games), SkyView Atlanta, a 200-foot (61 m) Ferris Wheel, the CNN Center , and the College Football Hall of Fame , State Farm Arena , and Mercedes-Benz Stadium . In 2016,

220-410: A fatal heart attack while running to the scene. The bomb wounded 111 others. President Bill Clinton denounced the explosion as an "evil act of terror" and vowed to do everything possible to track down and punish those responsible. Despite the event, officials and athletes agreed that the games should continue as planned. Though Richard Jewell was hailed as a hero for his role in discovering

264-585: A fireworks show. In November, a commemorative plaque honoring the Games was unveiled. On May 29, 2020, Centennial Olympic Park was the scene of the start of what was supposed to be a peaceful protest in respect of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota four days earlier. The protest route was supposed to head to the capital and return to the park, but it was stopped at the CNN Center by

308-520: A formal apology from them. Jewell's lawsuit accused Piedmont College President Raymond Cleere of falsely describing Jewell as a "badge-wearing zealot" who "would write epic police reports for minor infractions". The cases were later settled after 15 years of litigation with the Georgia Court of Appeals decision in July 2012, that the newspapers accurately reported that Jewell was the key suspect in

352-593: A large portion of the 800,000 bricks used in the park's construction. Many contributors ordered replica bricks to keep for themselves as souvenirs. The park has become a catalyst for new development in Atlanta's downtown. The new World of Coca-Cola opened on May 24, 2007, next to the Georgia Aquarium just north of the park, and the Imagine It! Children's Museum of Atlanta opened on March 1, 2004, on

396-410: A monument honoring Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic movement. A small amphitheatre is located at the southern end of the park. The park has shows at the fountain all 365 days of the year, four times daily. They play at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. In July 2013, SkyView Atlanta, a transportable Ferris wheel , debuted across the street from

440-539: A nearby hotel. Alice Hawthorne, 44, of Albany, Georgia , was killed in the explosion when a nail from the bomb penetrated her skull and riddled her body with shrapnel while she was standing with her 14-year-old daughter who was badly injured. A cameraman with Turkish Radio and Television Corporation , Melih Uzunyol, 40, who had "survived coverage of wars in Azerbaijan, Bosnia and the Persian Gulf," suffered

484-651: A new facility on the southwest side of Marietta Street, between Foundry and Baker Streets, and opened in 2014. In October 2011, Legacy Properties announced plans to build Times Square South at 285 Marietta, at the corner of Baker and Marietta streets. Characteristic of New York City's Times Square, a portion of the facade will be in the form of a dynamic video wall along two sides of a new multi-use building. Designed by Cooper Carry , Times Square South would have 350,000 square feet (33,000 m) of class A office space and 60,000 square feet (5,600 m) of retail/entertainment attraction space. Times Square South will sit across

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528-485: A policeman working as a security guard and seriously injured nurse Emily Lyons , gave the FBI crucial clues including a partial license plate. The plate and other clues led the FBI to identify Eric Robert Rudolph, a carpenter and handyman, as a suspect. Rudolph eluded capture and became a fugitive ; officials believed he had disappeared into the rugged southern Appalachian Mountains , familiar from his youth. On May 5, 1998,

572-444: A year and several events, including a summer popular music concert series (Wednesday WindDown), the annual SweetWater 420 Fest and an annual Independence Day concert and fireworks display. The park property had previously been a variety of vacant lots and abandoned or run-down industrial buildings. ACOG's chief executive, Billy Payne , conceived the park both as a central gathering location for visitors and spectators during

616-682: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Centennial Olympic Park Centennial Olympic Park is a 22-acre (89,000 m ) public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia , owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority . It was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) as part of the infrastructure improvements for the 1996 Summer Olympics . It plays host to millions of visitors

660-450: The ATF and FBI to investigate the suspicious bag, which was leaning against the 40-ft NBC sound tower. Jewell and other security guards began clearing the immediate area so that the bomb squad could investigate the suspicious package. The bomb detonated two to three minutes into the evacuation, before all spectators could leave the area. The first one who gave the news live worldwide was

704-617: The Atlanta Police Department . A riot subsequently broke out, resulting in damage and looting to several buildings, including the CNN Center. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia , the park was closed to the public in July 2020. GWCCA executive director Frank Poe stated that Centennial Olympic Park relied on revenue from events taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center for

748-652: The Olympics and as a lasting legacy for the city. With the park being the showcase to the world during the Olympics, ACOG decided to hold a design competition to lay out and build the park. Landscape Architect EDAW , with the joint construction team of Beers/Russell, were selected to design and build the park by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Centennial Olympic Park was constructed in two phases. Phase I of construction

792-698: The Peachtree Center area of Downtown or even Buckhead . Whereas a few years prior, few facilities existed in the area, by 2011, the district counted 25 restaurants and 6 hotels, the Ventana events center and a helipad. The area is set to add the College Football Hall of Fame and Times Square South to its roster of attractions. Currently the District is home to a variety of attractions, restaurants and lounges, event spaces, hotels, and office and retail spaces. The College Football Hall of Fame moved to

836-484: The World of Coca-Cola on the north side of the park. It is bounded by Marietta Street to the west, Baker Street to the north and Centennial Olympic Park Drive to the east and south. Andrew Young International Boulevard, named for the former Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador , runs through the southern portion of the park. Since 2008, the area around the park has been marketed, and increasingly referred to in

880-640: The 1997 article "American Nightmare," and the book The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle (2019) by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen. Jewell is played by Paul Walter Hauser . A TV series, Manhunt , also called ManHunt: Deadly Games , dedicated season 2 (2020) to the story of Richard Jewell. Jewell is played by Cameron Britton . After Jewell

924-594: The Bellagio Fountains at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada . The fountain area is surrounded by flags representing the host countries of each Summer Olympics preceding the 1996 games and eight 65-foot-tall (20 m) light towers reminiscent of classical Greek marker columns. There are several pieces of sculpture scattered through the park, including Gateway of Dreams ,

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968-524: The FBI named him as one of its ten most wanted fugitives and offered a $ 1 million reward for information leading directly to his arrest. On October 14, 1998, the Department of Justice formally named Rudolph as its suspect in all four bombings. After more than five years on the run, Rudolph was arrested on May 31, 2003, in Murphy, North Carolina , by a rookie police officer, Jeffrey Scott Postell of

1012-596: The Italian reporter Ezio Luzzi  [ it ] , who was in Atlanta as a correspondent of RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana for the Olympic Games that were taking place at that time. Video of the explosion from a short distance away was captured by Robert Gee, a tourist from California, and later aired by CNN . The sound of the explosion was also recorded by a news crew from the German public television network ARD , who were interviewing American swimmer Janet Evans at

1056-658: The Murphy Police Department behind a Save-A-Lot store at about 4 a.m.; Postell, on routine patrol, had originally suspected a burglary in progress. On April 8, 2005, the government announced Rudolph would plead guilty to all four bombings, including the Centennial Olympic Park attack. Rudolph is serving four life terms without the possibility of parole at ADX Florence supermax prison in Florence, Colorado . Rudolph's justification for

1100-473: The Olympics, and thousands of spectators had gathered for a late concert by the band Jack Mack and the Heart Attack . Sometime after midnight, Rudolph planted a green U.S. military ALICE pack ( field pack ) containing three pipe bombs filled with smokeless powder surrounded by three-inch-long (7.6 cm) masonry nails, which caused the death of one victim and most of the human injuries, underneath

1144-537: The bomb and moving spectators to safety, news organizations later reported that Jewell was considered a potential suspect in the bombing, four days afterward, and shortly after a brief, mistaken detainment of two juvenile persons of interest at the Kensington MARTA station . Jewell, at the time, was unknown to authorities, and a lone wolf profile made sense to FBI investigators after they were contacted by his former employer at Piedmont College . Jewell

1188-472: The bomb before detonation, notified Georgia Bureau of Investigation officers, and began clearing spectators out of the park along with other security guards. After the bombing, Jewell was initially investigated as a suspect by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and news media aggressively focused on him as the presumed culprit when he was actually innocent. In October 1996, the FBI declared Jewell

1232-494: The bombing, and emphasized he was only a suspect and the potential issues in the law enforcement case against him. Richard Jewell died on August 29, 2007, at the age of 44 from serious medical problems related to diabetes . Richard Jewell , a biographical drama film , was released in the United States on December 13, 2019. The film was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood . It was written by Billy Ray , based on

1276-549: The bombings according to his April 13, 2005 statement, was political: On August 22, 2005, Rudolph, who had previously received a life sentence for the Alabama bombing, was sentenced to three concurrent terms of life imprisonment without parole for the Georgia incidents. Rudolph read a statement at his sentencing in which he apologized to the victims and families only of the Centennial Park bombing, reiterating that he

1320-485: The park received the Downtown Economic Impact Award from Central Atlanta Progress Inc. Centennial Olympic Park was cited for attracting more than $ 2.4 billion in investment since opening in 1996. 33°45′36″N 84°23′36″W  /  33.760042°N 84.393229°W  / 33.760042; -84.393229 Centennial Olympic Park bombing The Centennial Olympic Park bombing

1364-412: The park sustained minor damage when a tornado tore through downtown Atlanta. Two of the 65 foot (20 m) tall light towers were blown down. It was the first tornado to hit the downtown area since weather record keeping began in the 1880s. On July 16, 2016, the park held events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 1996 Olympics and Paralympics , including a volunteer reunion, concessions, and

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1408-549: The park were marred by the July 27 bombing which killed two people (one from a heart attack) and injured 111 others. Security at the park and at all sporting venues was subsequently raised to include bag searches and metal detectors at all entrances. The bombing site is adjacent to the Park's "Centennial Tree". It was closed shortly after the Olympics for renovations, including installation of grass, until spring 1998. On March 14, 2008,

1452-476: The park's upkeep. By April 2021, portions of Centennial Olympic Park were reopened to the public; however, the park only operated from 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and public restrooms, visitors' center, the Fountain of Rings, and the amphitheater remain closed. On October 14, 2021, GWCCA officials announced that the park would be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting on October 18 and most of

1496-509: The park. The 200-foot (61 m) wheel features 42 air-conditioned cars and views of the park and the surrounding area. The park was paid for in part by the donations of thousands of individuals who bought bricks engraved with the short message of their choice and laid as pavers throughout the park. The contribution for each brick was $ 35. The message was allowed 15 characters on each of two lines. The finished bricks were laid in alternating light (tan) and dark (brick red) groups comprising

1540-539: The press, as the Luckie Marietta District . The Atlanta Streetcar passes along the east side of the park, with a stop for the park on Centennial Olympic Drive. A key feature of the park is the Fountain of Rings interactive fountain , which features computer-controlled lights and jets of water synchronized with music played from speakers in light towers surrounding it. It forms a splash pad that

1584-532: The previously closed areas would reopen; however, the Fountain of Rings would not have any music shows and public restrooms remain closed. The park is surrounded by many major Atlanta Landmarks; the Georgia World Congress Center , College Football Hall of Fame , State Farm Arena , the CNN Center , and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are all on the west side of the park and the Georgia Aquarium , National Center for Civil and Human Rights , and

1628-547: The street from the College Football Hall of Fame. The Centennial Park District defines its boundaries with Centennial Olympic Park as the center and all properties within 1-2 blocks of the park. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Philips Arena and Georgia World Congress Center are included because of their proximity. 33°45′40″N 84°23′38″W  /  33.7610°N 84.3940°W  / 33.7610; -84.3940 This Atlanta, Georgia –related article

1672-634: Was a domestic terrorist pipe bombing attack on Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta , Georgia , on Saturday, July 27, 1996, during the Summer Olympics . The blast directly killed one person and injured 111 others; another person later died of a heart attack. It was the first of four bombings committed by Eric Rudolph in a terrorism campaign against the U.S. government which he accused of championing "the ideals of global socialism" and "abortion on demand". Security guard Richard Jewell discovered

1716-456: Was angry at the government and hoped the Olympics would be canceled. At his sentencing, fourteen other victims or relatives gave statements, including the widower of Alice Hawthorne. Rudolph's former sister-in-law, Deborah Rudolph, talked about the irony of Rudolph's plea deal putting him in custody of a government he hates. "Knowing that he's living under government control for the rest of his life, I think that's worse to him than death," she told

1760-491: Was cleared, the FBI admitted it had no other suspects, and the investigation made little progress until early 1997, when two more bombings took place, at an abortion clinic and a lesbian nightclub , both in the Atlanta area. Similarities in the bomb design allowed investigators to conclude that this was the work of the same perpetrator. One more bombing of an abortion clinic, this time in Birmingham, Alabama , which killed

1804-410: Was completed July 1996, just in time for 1996 Olympic Summer Games at a cost of US$ 28 million. During the Olympics, the park contained sponsor exhibits, hosted entertainment and medal presentations, and was a hotbed for pin trading. Phase II construction took place shortly after the Olympics were over and was completed during the following year, in 1998, at the cost of US$ 15 million. The celebrations in

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1848-582: Was designed for children to frolic in, as well as for concert-goers and joggers to cool off in on hot summer days. It consists of 251 jets that shoot 12 to 35 feet (3.7 to 10.7 m) in the air, and also creates a water sculpture that is essentially the front yard of the nearby museum. An important formal architectural landmark that is also a fun and playful space, the computer controlled fountain concept has since been replicated in other urban designs such as Dundas Square in Toronto and in commercial uses such as

1892-414: Was named as a person of interest , although he was never arrested. Jewell's home was searched, his background exhaustively investigated, and he became the subject of intense media interest and surveillance, including a media siege of his home. After Jewell was exonerated, he initiated defamation lawsuits against NBC News , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , and other media entities, and insisted on

1936-402: Was no longer a person of interest. Following three more bombings in 1997 and 1998, Rudolph was identified by the FBI as the suspect. In 2003, Rudolph was finally captured and arrested, and in 2005 he agreed to plead guilty to avoid a potential death sentence. Rudolph was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for his crimes. Centennial Olympic Park was designed as the " town square " of

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