Cyclorama Moving to Buckhead (Atlanta, Marietta: credit, school, quality of life)

[JPD]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Let's hope this becomes a win-win. One potential negative effect that hasn't been mentioned yet however is what will this do to the Zoo? I don't know what the tourist-patterns are like, if one takes spillover from the other, but it seems logical to think that overall attendance will be down at Grant Park.

I think very little of the Zoo's business comes from folks going to the Cyclorama and deciding to go to the Zoo while they're at it.

On the other hand, the Cyclorama probably gets a lot of business from folks who go to the Zoo, and decide to check out the Cyclorama since it's right there. Take away the school field trip business, and that's probably most of the Cyclorama's customer base.

[jsvh]

This has been in the works for a while.

I am 1.5 miles from Grant Park myself and sad to see it go, but consolidating AHC and the Cyclorama to one location makes a lot of sense. And moving AHC and the Swan house to Grant Park was not going to be practical.

It is also good that it is getting the millions it needs to keep the work up to date and getting this off the city's balance sheet.

But I do wish that AHC was more strategically located around other tourist destinations.

[cqholt]

AHC just seems so far from the core of Atlanta's tourist attractions.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by cqholt

AHC just seems so far from the core of Atlanta's tourist attractions.

Lets build a streetcar!

[Ray Ciss]

A couple of videos that feature the new spaces at the Zoo and the AHS:


Zoo Atlanta Cyclorama Renovation - YouTube


[vimeo]101445040[/vimeo]
AHC - Cyclorama Design Concept on Vimeo

[jsvh]

More coverage: Cyclorama to be relocated to Atlanta History Center, Zoo Atlanta to turn facility into event space | Atlanta News & Opinion Blog | Fresh Loaf | Creative Loafing Atlanta

So the city will still retain ownership. But they will save $500K to $1M a year on staffing and maintenance:

...He said the city would also retain ownership of the Cyclorama painting and is currently finalizing a long-term license agreement with the Center.

Sheffield Hale, the Center’s president and CEO, said that the artwork would be moved with the help of more than $32 million in private contributions. The city would shed between $500,000 and $1 million in annual salary and maintenance expenses from its books, Reed added...

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Gulch

It also should be noted that the locomotive Texas will be moved to the AHC as well.

Maybe it should be reunited with the General in Kennesaw?

I guess the condition of the painting is such that it can be moved?

[cqholt]

I like the plans. It will improve the AHC, which I was a little disappointed in.

[JPD]

Any ideas as to when they expect the new location to be open to the public?

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by JPD

Any ideas as to when they expect the new location to be open to the public?

From CL:

The Center, which plans to construct a 23,000-square-foot wing to house the painting, expects that the move will take approximately two years to complete. Construction crews are expected to break ground sometime next summer.