Page 64 - Athens New Comers Guide 2022

A Classic Arena

for The Classic City

THE CLASSIC CENTER HAS BIG PLANS FOR A NEW VENUE

By Michael Hall

T he Athens music scene is Plans are for the arena to host as many as high time Athens have a venue that can

legendary. When rock bands like
55 sporting events, 15 major conventions,
do that.”
R.E.M., the B-52s, Widespread 10 family shows, 20 community events
Panic, Drive-by Truckers, and many like graduations, and 25 major touring At 5,500 permanent seats and 7,500
others call the same town home, music concerts annually, he said, which will have seats when outfitted for a concert,
fans notice. a significant economic impact on the Cramer said the new arena will be able to
region. Projections show that impact to accommodate around 85 percent of the
Those same bands have made Athens be as much as $33 million that will lead to national touring acts. That means Athens
venues like The 40-Watt Club and The
Georgia Theatre legendary as well, but 600 jobs. area and Northeast Georgia residents
once a band is big enough to sell out will have a shorter commute to catch big-
arenas around the country, where do Concerts were a primary purpose Classic name shows and events that they have
they play when they return to where it Center officials had in mind for the arena. been traveling to Gwinnett County
all began? Soon the answer will be The or Atlanta to attend.
Classic Center Arena, a 7,500-seat “We’ve got a plethora of clubs and bars
concert venue set for construction in that smaller groups can play in, but And downtown Athens is the perfect
2022 and an opening in 2023. nothing really that is the right size for the place for it, Cramer said. In the 27 years
national touring acts,” Cramer said. “It’s he has been at The Classic Center, he
The new venture for The Classic Center,
a convention and performing arts facility
in downtown Athens, is set to host 125 Our mission is to serve
events with 300 event activity days
annually in the Classic City, said Paul the whole region as a civic,
Cramer, president and CEO of The Classic cultural, and social center
Center. The arena will change the game in while maximizing the
Athens, he said. impacts of tourism.

“It will give us such a great variety of
entertainment we haven’t really had Paul Cramer, President and CEO
before in this community,” Cramer said. of The Classic Center

60 Classic Center Athens Area Chamber of Commerce • www.athensga.com • (706) 549-6800