Following years of planning by the GMA Property Committee, which was led by Newnan Mayor Keith Brady, and the support and commitment of recent GMA presidents, officers and the Board of Directors, the dream of a new facility is becoming a reality.
At the conclusion of the 2020 Cities United Summit, a groundbreaking ceremony took place on the new GMA Headquarters building and parking deck. The new, four-story, 29,000-square-foot building and the five-level parking deck are on track to be completed by Jan. 15, 2021.
“The new facility will allow us to provide much greater service to our members and we will be able to accommodate meetings of up to 150 people, along with doubling our existing parking,” said GMA Executive Director Larry Hanson.
The renovation of GMA’s existing building, which was scheduled to begin in mid-January following the completion of the new building, was moved up and began on Nov. 30, which is about 45 days earlier than planned, according to Hanson.
“If all goes well, we will finish everything by May 1, 2021 rather than mid-July 2021,” said Hanson.
GMA leaders are also excited that the project will provide other amenities to benefit employees and members. These amenities include an outdoor courtyard that will connect the buildings and be a space for small meetings, lunches and receptions. The fourth floor of the new building will also have a partially covered terrace that will allow GMA to host receptions and meal functions for up to 200 attendees. The north facing wall of the parking deck will become the location of a mural that will celebrate cities.
“We had 18 Georgia artists respond to the mural RFQ and selecting the best from among such a talented group was a real challenge. Many of the submittals used words and phrases such as ‘sure to be an Atlanta land- mark,’ ‘this site will be an icon in the city,’ and ‘this location will be a destination for ‘Instagram-able moments,’” said Hanson. “We can’t wait for the ribbon cutting to share this beautiful facility with our members.”