... The centerpiece of the games and the location where the opening and closing ceremonies were held was a new $209 million stadium, now called Turner Field and now home to the city's finest baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. The games also impacted the downtown area of the city as much renewal took place in order for Atlanta to put its best face forward. A more attractive inner city area was the result. Improvements were made to public transportation, retail amenities and public areas such as parks and walkways. The rejuvenation of the area also meant the rejuvenation of old buildings. The Rialto Theater, once an old crumbling cinema in need of work, was one of the many buildings in the downtown area to be renovated and is now home to plays and various musical productions. An old church was turned into a blues parlour for the Olympics and following the games became a music venue for live bands. Some of the renewal came after the Olympics, but were done as an indirect result of the games; these included raising a dilapidated housing project and transforming the land into low and middle-income housing. Arguably the most impressive legacy of the renewal of downtown Atlanta though was the centennial Olympic park. A 21-acre park it was home to many festival activities during the games. As a result of all these improvements it was clear for all who visited Atlanta during the games that the city had really come a long way, and confirm that Atlanta was quickly becoming a truly international city. What really brought Atlanta recognition though, was television and media. It is estimated that over half of the worlds population tune into coverage of the summer Olympic games every 4 years. So without doubt hosting the games immediately placed Atlanta in the world spotlight. In a way it was like one big advertisement for the city, and as a result tourism levels increased while a lot more businesses expressed interest in expanding to Atlanta. All this brought great economic benefits to the city. ...
