The Gateway Center Arena @ College Park near the airport and Georgia International Convention Center is officially open to the public.
The multipurpose sports and entertainment venue will serve as home to the College Park Skyhawks, the official NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, and the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
The 100,000 square foot arena, with 3,500 seats (expandable to 5,000 for live events and concerts) which has been in progress since February 2018, was funded by the City of College Park.
“When the Hawks started discussions a few years ago about bringing basketball to College Park, we knew it was something we wanted to do, but weren’t sure in what capacity,” said Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin in a press release Friday.
“It became clear it was the perfect place for a G League team, and now that the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park, the home of the Skyhawks, is open, we can’t wait to continue our inaugural season right here in College Park.”
“The Atlanta Dream are excited to call the Gateway Center Arena @ College Park home. We know that the intimacy of the facility will create an atmosphere that is second-to-none and a home court advantage without a single bad seat in the house,” said Chris Sienko, president and general manager of the Atlanta Dream.
In addition to hosting home games, the Arena has partnered with the Fox Theatre to book a variety of entertainment events including comedy performances, family shows, concerts, and lifestyle events.
Tvsdesign spearheaded the arena’s architecture and design, creating an exterior building shell to virtually eliminate any noise of passing airplanes, and inside, a centralized portal feature at the head of the concourse where attendees in the main entry can overlook the entirety of the arena, coupled with high-quality video display.
“When designing for the Arena, we had the community top of mind and are proud to say it will not disappoint in providing a gathering place for those in the area,” said principal of tvsdesign Rob O’Keefe.
The College Park Skyhawks held its home opener against the Delaware Blue Coats on Thursday night and came just 8 points shy of a win.
They’ll have another chance against the Long Island Nets in the arena on Sunday, November 24.
