Georgia Arena Plan

Paul Cramer, executive director of The Classic Center, proposed the idea of an enclosed arena during a recent meeting of The Classic Center Authority, the board that oversees the existing downtown convention and performance space.

The amphitheatre is a main feature in the master plan, accepted by the county in 2014, for the development of the area for the next two decades.

The plan maps out the facility, located near The Classic Center, built-in stages, with an initial capacity of 1,500 to 2,500 under covered seating, and hillside seating for an additional 2,500.

Possible expansions, based on use of the proposed venue, could raise the seating capacity to as high as 10,000. But Cramer said that an enclosed arena would get more use than an open-air shed and could host a wider variety of events, bringing people and their money into town from communities beyond Athens.