ATLANTA - The Georgia World Congress Center's flagship restaurant, The Terraces, closed April 1 for remodeling as part of the ongoing Phase IV Expansion Project.

Concurrent with the improvements to The Terraces will be the construction of a concourse to the new Phase IV portion of the facility and the expansion of the Andrew Young International Blvd. sidewalks and plaza areas.

The completion date for these two projects is targeted for spring 2002. The remodeled Terraces, designed by the award winning Bill Johnson Studios, will feature dramatic architecture and eclectic furnishings.

The new concourse will feature attractive interior and exterior routes to the Phase IV facility.

The expanded sidewalks and plaza areas along Andrew Young International Blvd. will accommodate the increased shuttle bus operations in the new, park-like setting.

Temporary partitions have been erected at the Water Feature Entrance to the GWCC on Level 3A to mask the construction areas.

"These partitions, finished to blend in with the existing architecture, should help minimize any visual or physical concerns of our customers and guests," said John Smith, general manager of the GWCC.

During this time of construction, The Terraces will not be available. However, customers will still be able to experience an upscale dining experience in the Georgia World Congress Center.

MGR, the GWCC's food service partner, now offers the option of having a temporary Terraces Express restaurant open during large shows or conventions as an up-scale dining alternative for guests here.

Available square footage, the expected attendance, location, decor and other factors must be taken into consideration when planning the use of the Terraces Express, so MGR officials said to contact them at least 12 weeks prior to your event to discuss the possibilities.

Within the GWCC, there are still 19 other permanent food service facilities, including concession stands, Pizza Hut outlets, express cafes, and cafeteria-style dining. In addition, MGR offers numerous specialty food carts to add even more variety to its services.

"With this collection of facilities and dining options, MGR can still satisfy our guests, from the most important business lunch to a quick bite before a meeting," said Smith.

The Phase IV expansion is scheduled to open next summer. It will include an additional 420,000 square feet of exhibit space, 29 meeting rooms (75,000 square feet of additional space), two lecture halls, a 27,000-square-foot ballroom, a new entrance on the west side of the facility, and a 3.6-acre landscaped plaza (between the Georgia Dome and the GWCC's new exhibit halls).

This addition will be located along Northside Drive in an area formerly used as parking lots for the Georgia Dome and adjacent to existing Georgia World Congress Center's exhibit halls D through H.

Phase IV Features

• Located on the same level as the 420,000 square feet of new exhibit space, the Georgia World Congress Center's new entrance and registration area will lead directly into Phase IV's four exhibit halls. The design calls for one dedicated show office for each of these halls.
• Two covered connectors will permit easy access between GWCC's existing and Phase IV facilities. A mezzanine will connect the new exhibit halls directly to current halls. A pedestrian concourse will link the Phase IV public areas to those now in use at the Congress Center.
• After the expansion is opened for business in summer 2002, the Georgia World Congress Center will have three main entrances to its 1.4 million total square feet of exhibit space.
• A 3.6-acre landscaped plaza will provide open space between the GWCC's Phase IV expansion and the Georgia Dome. This park-like area will enhance the dramatic view from the two facilities and offer visitors a pleasant place to congregate.
• Covered access between Phase IV and the Georgia Dome and 500 parking spaces will be constructed under the new plaza.
• The reception area outside the new 27,000-square-foot ballroom will overlook the plaza.
• The GWCC's expansion will provide separate covered arrival points, one for shuttle buses and one for taxis.
• GWCC's expansion will include two-tiered, fixed-seating lecture halls on the exhibit floor level, 29 flexible-space meeting rooms on the plaza and ballroom levels, and a boardroom in the upper concourse connector (that can also be used for meetings).
• Phase IV will add
  • Total space: 1.4 million square feet
  • Exhibit space: 420,000 square feet
  • Meeting rooms: 75,000 square feet
  • Ballroom: 27,000 square feet
  • Landscaped plaza: 3.6 acres