A visit to New York City is hardly complete without a stroll through Times Square. A “bright light district” similar to that iconic destination may soon be coming to Atlanta. An organization called Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) is pushing to have sign regulations relaxed in order to allow for giant LED billboards to be placed in the area near landmarks like Phillips Arena, CNN Studios, World of Coke, and The Georgia Aquarium.
CAP’s Vice President for Planning and Economic Development, Jennifer Ball, says, “At this point, Downtown Atlanta zoning doesn’t allow signs that are over 200 square feet and our billboards are stuck in time. We’re anticipating an increase in size as well as the ability to do large screen video and LED boards.”
The idea is to bring people to the downtown area and get them out of their cars and experiencing the city on foot. In addition to bringing signage to the area, the plans include adding retail and restaurant locations to entice visitors, as well as the addition of housing options. The goal is also to use the signage for upcoming sporting events coming to Atlanta in the next few years. That includes the college football championships in 2018, the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NCAA Final Four in 2020.
Atlanta City Council will vote on the measure next month.