Since 1912, a city building at 300 N. Thomas Street has been an important part of life in Athens-Clarke County. That said, over the past century, the building’s purpose and structure have evolved.
At the time of its construction, what is now called the Classic Center was known as Fire Hall Number 1. It also served as the city’s main station and central meeting place.
Jumping forward a few decades, plans were made in 1987 to start discussing renovation and expansion of the building, although construction didn’t begin until 1994. The plans included some large additions, including a 28,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 2,000- seat theater, and an 18,000 square foot ballroom.
The expansion was pricey. “The $ 3.2 million project to build two large ballrooms in the Foundry Street Warehouse, spruce up the theater and replace the building’s sprinkler system has to be done in time for a big convention in two months.” WHAT IS THE SOURCE FOR THIS? The full expansion did not come to a close until 2013.
Today the facility serves as a conference center, theater, sporting event venue and so much more. According to its online calendar, it serves as a locale for Athens Wine Weekend, 3rd Annual Pickled Peach Pickleball Tournament, Athens Home & Garden Show, and All-State Chorus, Ophelia Santos, Wine Styles Guru, and Chateau Elan and the Wine Revolution by Simone Bergese just to name a few of the events scheduled for this upcoming month.
The venue operators are accustomed to regularly selling out concerts, conferences and shows. According to LexisNexis NAME THE ORIGINAL SOURCE the Classic Center’s net sales were $692,082 for 2016.
Athens- Clarke County greatly benefits from this place located right in the heart of downtown. According to visitathensga.com, the Classic Center “brings together state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled customer service in a convention venue that features new and modern spaces perfectly paired with restored historic structures.”
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