The Cobb County School District wants to use property it purchased for a special events center for more parking space and to better connect its central office facilities in Marietta.
During a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said he has “no plans” to revive efforts to build an events center at that location that was canceled last year.
The board voted 5-2 Thursday night to approve a $1.97 million contract to improve 3.42 acres on Glover Street, next to the district’s central office. What remain are concrete slabs from former office buildings that have been torn down.
Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, said during a work session Thursday afternoon that the project would removing the slabs and improve frontage access along Glover Street as well as build the parking space.
He didn’t indicate how many parking spaces would be provided. In addition to the central office building, the district is surrounded by separate buildings for its data recovery center and a maintenance on Glover Street and its human resources building on Glover Street at Fairground Street.
Glover Street is a two-way street with small industrial-type businesses.
The proposed events center, which would have cost $50 million to house graduations and other major activities, was initially approved by the board in 2023. The center would have included an 8,000-seat arena, plus conference space and parking decks.
But Ragsdale cited economic concerns for the cancellation, which came last July, and after critics of the special events center revealed a site plan that had not been previously released by the district.
When board member Becky Sayler asked if “anything new” is to be built on the properties, Ragsdale said “it’ll be parking.
“As far as discussions that have taken place in executive session, I will continue to update the board on any kind of requirements. What I will say is that there is no plan now or moving forward for the multi-purpose facility to be there.
“It will be paved for parking and if anything additional is needed central office-wise the board will be apprised in discussion in executive session about land acquisitions and anything we might be doing in the future,” he said, not ruling out the possibility of eyeing an events center elsewhere.
Sayler was the only vote against the special events center and the purchase of the properties in 2023 for $3 million.
Board member John Cristadoro asked Ragsdale if there was a “super secret, covert mission” to revive the special events center on Glover Street, and the superintendent said simply, “No.”
Board member Randy Scamihorn said the work also will clear out an abandoned rail spur and and relieve traffic congestion on Glover Street that’s used heavily by district employees.
“There’s a considerable amount of work to be done just to get that property appearance acceptable in my opinion,” Scamihorn said.
He compared the site, with the slabs and bumpy asphalt, to “an outdoor house.”
Related:
- News site to record public comment stream ended by Cobb school board
- Former Cobb schools special events site proposed for parking area
- Cobb’s 2025 Teacher of the Year celebrated at Pope HS
- 2025 Milestones test results: East Cobb middle, high schools
- 2025 Milestones test results: East Cobb elementary schools
- Ga. to distribute $6.5M in federal funds to Cobb schools
- Cobb students go back to school: 2025-26 school year begins
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
