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World Congress Center seeks $10M for HVAC, $12M for plaza predevelopment and partial funding to relocate Olympic cauldron
Summary
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority briefed the subcommittee on three capital requests: $10 million for a phased HVAC replacement, $12 million for predevelopment of an expanded International Plaza/entertainment project, and a $833,000 partial request toward relocating the Centennial Olympic Park cauldron.
Kevin Duvall, general manager of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, told the House subcommittee the authority is pursuing targeted capital funding including HVAC modernization, predevelopment for an International Plaza activation project, and partial public support to relocate the Centennial Olympic Park cauldron.
Mr. Duvall said the authority is undertaking a multi‑year HVAC replacement program and requested $10 million in one‑time funding for design work and initial equipment purchases; the overall program cost will be larger and the $10 million would support a phased approach. He explained much of the authority's mechanical equipment dates from the 1980s–1990s and requires staged replacement.
On campus activation, the authority described a $12 million predevelopment request to advance engineering and design for an expanded International Plaza concept that could add roughly 150,000 square feet of decking, parking and activation space connecting the World Congress Center campus with adjacent private investments. The authority said it has already invested $1 million in predevelopment and seeks a one‑time supplement to finalize the master plan and cost estimates before returning with a full construction request.
The authority also proposed relocating the Centennial Olympic Park cauldron to a new site adjacent to the World Congress Center visitor center. The total relocation and site work cost estimate is about $2.5 million; the authority requested one‑third of that cost ($833,000) in the governor’s budget and said it will seek the remainder from private fundraising led by stakeholders who support the move.
Ending: The authority said it will return with more detailed design estimates and phasing as projects advance and noted it already self‑funds a significant portion of campus capital work.
