Georgia State plans 8,000-seat convocation center just south of I-20

January 26,2018

Students entering Georgia State University this year may in four years march across an indoor stage at a new school-owned building to receive their diplomas, if all goes quickly on a design and construction schedule for a new building just south of I-20.

A $5 million bond for design of a building simply called the “Convocation Center” appears in Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed budget for the year that will begin in July.

It would be built on a roughly 6.5-acre plot on the northwest corner of Fulton Street and Capitol Avenue. That’s between Interstate 20 and the former Turner Field’s parking lots. It’s the block just west of the Ramada Hotel, and is now part paved, part grassy and all empty.

“What we’re envisioning for the proposed facility is a 200,000-square foot, multiuse state-of-the-art facility to support various athletic events, conferences, commencements, graduation ceremonies, convocation … large gatherings, concerts,” said Ramesh Vakamudi, GSU’s Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Service.

It’ll also be the court for GSU basketball games, though the Sports Arena will continue as the home (offices, training and practice) for basketball.

“Currently we don’t have on campus a large indoor assembly area, so this facility … proposed at about an 8,000-seat capacity … would provide much sorely needed gathering space,” he said.

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