Okay, I'll admit it - when Atlanta got picked as a World Cup host city, I was skeptical about whether we'd actually be ready. But listening to the officials at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week, they're sounding pretty confident with just over three months to go.
The big announcement is that Centennial Olympic Park is getting transformed into FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta, which sounds like it could either be amazing or a complete zoo depending on how well they manage it. Think live match broadcasts, food vendors, cultural programming, and probably thousands of people from around the world all crammed into downtown. MARTA's finally rolling out that Better Breeze payment system we've been hearing about forever, plus they're increasing service during matches.
Maybe the most surprising news is that the airport's South Terminal expansion will actually open before the World Cup. If you've flown through Hartsfield lately, you know that construction has been going on forever, so having that extra capacity when the world's eyes are on Atlanta could be huge. The whole thing feels like one of those make-or-break moments for the city's reputation on the global stage.
