By Collin Kelley

INtown Editor

When the New York Times put Downtown Atlanta on its list of 52 Places to Go in 2014 last month, it was confirmation of what local leaders already knew – it’s going to be a transformative year for the city’s core.

With the Atlanta Streetcar set to come online and the openings of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the College Football Hall of Fame, Downtown’s destination status is about to get a huge boost.

Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson said Downtown hasn’t seen so much activity or received so much buzz since the 1996 Summer Olympics, which spurred the revitalization of the district. He wasn’t surprised by the New York Times designation at all.

“The New York Times did their research and realized there is a lot going on in Downtown Atlanta,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that 90 percent of the track is in place for the Atlanta Streetcar, which will make a 2.7 mile loop from Centennial Olympic Park and The King Center. “The construction is still messy in certain areas like around Woodruff Park, but you’ll soon see poles and wire going up to power the streetcars.”

If all goes well, the streetcar will be running by Memorial Day, which will coincide with the opening of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights next door to the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola. The much-anticipated center will house the personal papers of Martin Luther King Jr. from Morehouse College among other collections and exhibitions.

The College Football Hall of Fame, which just had a “topping out” ceremony last month, is expected to open in August next door to the Georgia World Congress Center and is expected to draw sports fans from around the country.

While those tentpole attractions are receiving the most buzz, Robinson said there are even more projects set to open or starting construction, including the new ALOFT Hotel in the Luckie-Marietta District, new dorms for Georgia State students on Courtland Street, the new Hyatt House Hotel, the new Georgia State Law School and work on the new Falcons stadium, which is set to begin this summer.

Robinson said he’s also excited that the Polaris will be reopening soon at the Hyatt Regency. The iconic blue “flying saucer” atop the Downtown hotel has been shuttered for years, but is getting a new lease on life and is expected to reopen in March. Built in 1967, the revolving bar and restaurant will offer one-of-a-kind views of the Downtown cityscape.

“Each project is just one more notch in the city’s belt,” Robinson said. “It gives the economy a real push an will give a whole new level of tourism for the city.”

Robinson also cited the move of 2,000 employees of Coca-Cola into new offices at SunTrust Plaza as a big boost for Downtown. He said projects set to open adjacent to the heart of the city, such as Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market, will also be beneficial.

Another big Downtown project still to come is the proposed transportation hub near Philips Arena, which would put trains, buses and MARTA all in one central terminal. Robinson said the Georgia Department of Transportation was reviewing plans submitted by a development team for the billion-dollar project. “What we have to wait and see is who will run with it – the state or city?” he said.

Environmental reports on the hub won’t be complete until year’s end and then there will be a push to seek federal dollars for the project, Robinson stated.