Byline: Paul Newberry Associated Press
ATLANTA -- The demolition of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium began a couple of weeks ago. Now, the city which never spends too much time dwelling on its past is about to tear down another sports landmark.
The Omni, a gleaming innovation in architecture when it opened downtown in 1972, will be razed after the NBA playoffs to make room for a new arena with all the required elements for sports in the '90s: club seats, luxury boxes and plenty of elegance.
Certainly, the rusty-looking Omni, which resembles a waffle iron or an upside-down egg carton, is starting to show its age after a quarter-century of events, from Atlanta Hawks basketball to Elvis Presley.
``I have no particular feeling about it being taken down,'' said Tom Cousins, a prominent developer who built the Omni. ``It has served its purpose and served it well.''
Not any more.
The roof leaks. Flocks of pigeons have found a home inside. The narrow concourses are downright claustrophobic when big crowds pack the building. The Hawks complain about their tiny locker room.
``I'm looking forward to moving on to a new building,'' guard Mookie Blaylock said. ``That building we have now is real old.''
But Rachel Styles will miss the old place. She has worked at the Omni since it opened and served as house manager for the past 20 years, a job that gave her contact with nearly all of the famous and not-so-famous who visited the 16,000-seat arena.
``I've probably seen more basketball games than anyone does in a lifetime. I've definitely seen more circuses than anyone will ever see. Then there are the things I thought I would never enjoy, the tractor pulls and things like that,'' said Styles, whose office wall is covered with pictures that chronicle the Omni's history. ``It's like somebody is taking my house away.''
Other than people like Styles, the Omni's waning days are going largely unnoticed, evoking none of the pangs of emotion that marked the finale last year at Fulton County Stadium, the Atlanta Braves' home for 31 years.
Many people seem unaware that the arena that served the city so well is about to be demolished.
The Hawks marked the occasion with a ceremony at their final regular-season game last weekend.
But maybe it's hard to get attached to a building where the most memorable game was perhaps a loss by the home team.
In 1988, Atlanta was on the verge of upsetting Larry Bird and the powerful Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. In Game 6, with a chance to wrap up the series before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks lost 102-100 and went on to lose Game 7 at Boston Garden.
Of course, the Hawks are only part of the Omni's story. Most nights, there was something going on: ice shows, concerts, wrestling matches, indoor soccer, tennis, hockey, roller derby and even motocross races.
Elvis sold out 11 shows over a four-year period, and a plaque from his fan club still hangs in the building.
``I finally got to meet him the last time he was here,'' Styles recalled. ``It was very brief in his dressing room, but that's a memory I'll never, ever forget.''
Besides Elvis, the Omni played host to the Democratic National Convention in 1988, basketball Final Fours for men and women, the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in 1980 and a Davis Cup semifinal match between the United States and Argentina in 1984.
The Omni's origins can be traced to 1968, when the Hawks moved from St. Louis to Atlanta with the promise of a new building. After playing in Georgia Tech's campus arena for four seasons, the new $16 million coliseum finally opened - at no cost to the taxpayers.
Cousins, then the Hawks' owner, built the Omni atop railroad tracks in a desolate area of downtown, hoping the arena and an adjacent office and entertainment center - now known as CNN Center - would rejuvenate the area. They didn't.
By the time the Omni was completed, the city had another major-league team. The Atlanta Flames joined the NHL and had the honor of opening the new building with a 1-1 tie against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 14, 1972.
The Omni complex, which now includes a giant exhibition hall and the Georgia Dome, helped Atlanta become one of the country's leading convention cities, but it has done little to bring people back downtown, except on event nights.
INFOBOX
Omni moments
* Memorable events in the history of Atlanta's Omni, which will be torn down after the NBA playoffs to make room for a new arena:
Oct. 14, 1972 - NHL Atlanta Flames tie the Buffalo Sabres 1-1 in the first event at the Omni.
Oct. 15, 1972 - Atlanta Hawks play their first NBA game at the Omni, beating the New York Knicks 109-101.
March 28, 1977 - Marquette defeats North Carolina 67-59 for the NCAA men's basketball championship in Al McGuire's final game as coach.
1979-80 - The Flames play their final season in Atlanta, losing to New York Rangers in first round of playoffs and then moving to Calgary.
May 20, 1988 - The Hawks have a chance to eliminate the powerful Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Cliff Levingston misses shot in final seconds and Atlanta loses 102-100. Boston goes on to win series in Game 7.
July 21, 1988 - Michael Dukakis accepts his party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention.
April 4, 1993 - Texas Tech captures NCAA women's basketball championship with an 84-82 victory over Ohio State. Sheryl Swoopes scores a record 47 points.
Jan. 6, 1995 - Lenny Wilkens becomes the winningest coach in NBA history, surpassing Red Auerbach, when the Hawks beat the Washington Bullets 112-90.
July 20-Aug. 4, 1996 - Omni plays host to the volleyball competition during Atlanta Olympics.
April 19, 1997 - Hawks play final regular-season game at Omni, beating Philadelphia 136-104.
