Tsize>he Omni Coliseum was constructed in 1972 with 17,500 seats, the Omni Coliseum was the home of the Atlanta Flames Hockey team. The dramatic exterior of the building is unpainted Cor-Ten steel, which has oxidized to form a self-sealing coating.

The 25 "pods" on its roof allow for an interior span on 360 feet without supporting columns. It is managed by Atlanta Coliseum Inc., a subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

The coliseum's days were numbered. TBS wanted an updated facility and the company has been negotiating for several sites in downtown and suburban Atlanta. One option under consideration was to tear down the Omni coliseum and build a new arena there, with the adjacent railroad gulch being used for parking and offices. Also under discussion is building the arena in the gulch so the Hawks could continue to play in the Omni during construction. Afterward, the Omni would be torn down for parking and office expansion.

Omni demolition 'not a movie' so please stay home

By Henry Unger, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 25, 1997

What a wake-up call.

At 6:43 a.m. Saturday July 26, 1997, Omni Hotel guests will be aroused by the sound of 2,844 explosive devices imploding the Omni coliseum next-door.

The hotel will be giving advance written warning to its 200 guests, but, so far, there are no plans to leave earplugs on their pillows.

As for the rest of the public, the word from officials is -- stay home. Set your alarm clock for 6:30 and turn on the TV to watch the 25-year-old arena become rubble in about 10 seconds.

"This is not entertainment," Mark Loizeaux, president of Controlled Demolition Inc., said Tuesday. "This is not a movie here. This is demolition."

There will not be a public viewing area because of safety concerns. The Omni demolition is extremely complex because of the arena's close proximity to CNN Center and the MARTA rail station, and because the building is relatively new and structurally strong, officials said.

"This is one of the few times we're encouraging people not to take MARTA," said Laura Gillig, spokeswoman for the transit agency.

In fact, Gillig said, the Omni station will be closed Saturday from around 6 a.m. to 7:30 a..m. All trains that run through the station will stop on either side, at Five Points and Vine City, for about 15 minutes surrounding the implosion time.

Techwood Drive and International Boulevard will be closed a half-hour before the implosion.

Also, there will be a "no-fly zone" for TV helicopters. They won't be able to come within a half-mile of the Omni and must fly at least 1,200 feet above ground.

Despite the technical difficulties, an implosion will save considerable time and money, compared with dismantling the entire building, Loizeaux said.

Time is important for Turner Broadcasting System Inc., which wants the new arena it is building on the Omni site to be ready for the fall 1999 basketball and hockey seasons.

Atlantans will not get much of a recuperation period between implosions. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium is scheduled to be demolished Aug. 2 or Aug. 3 by D.H. Griffin and Demolition Dynamics Inc.

Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames The Omni 1972-1980 Calgary Corral 1980-1983 Pengrowth Saddledome 1983-Present

Buffalo Bisons/Tri-Cities Blackhawks/Milwaukee Hawks St. Louis Hawks/Atlanta Hawks Wharton Field House 1946-1951 Milwaukee Arena 1951-1955 Kiel Auditorium 1955-1968 Alexander Memorial Coliseum 1968-1972 Omni 1972-1997 Georgia Dome 1997-1999 Alexander Memorial Coliseum 1997-1999 Philips Arena 1999-Present