Summerhill could be in for a major new chapter in its Olympic story, as Atlanta Track Club pitches a roughly $100 million indoor track-and-field complex beside Cheney Stadium. The idea is to turn the neighborhood into a year-round running hub, keeping the existing outdoor oval while adding a high-end venue for student athletes, elite competitors and community programs.
The indoor facility would sit on Atlanta Public Schools property next to the 1996 Olympic warmup track, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The club is framing the project as an expansion of its relationship with APS, not a replacement for the historic outdoor track that is already there.
A 175,000-Square-Foot Bet On Atlanta’s Running Future
Atlanta News First reports that the proposed complex would span about 175,000 square feet and include a hydraulic oval, a sports medicine clinic, a STEM center and community meeting space. The nonprofit plans to fund the project through philanthropy, corporate partnerships and tax credits. APS would keep control of the land and would not put money into construction.
The Track Club says this would be Georgia’s first dedicated indoor track-and-field center. The Track Club at Cheney site outlines plans for a 200-meter indoor track, an 8,757-square-foot community area, health care offerings, run specialty retail, Atlanta Track Club offices and an overlook of the existing 400-meter outdoor track.
Backers are also selling the project as an economic driver, not just a place to dodge Atlanta’s unpredictable weather. Atlanta News First reported that a commissioned study projects a potential $70 million to $80 million economic impact for the city. The center is being designed to handle youth meets, high school invitationals, collegiate events and NCAA championships.
Cheney’s Olympic Legacy Would Stay In Place
Cheney Stadium served as a warmup site for athletes during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, and the outdoor track was resurfaced in 2017 with support from Atlanta Track Club. As WSB-TV reported, the plan would keep that existing track in place and put the new indoor facility on adjacent property.
The concept has been percolating for a while. According to the Atlanta Track Club 2025 strategic plan, an indoor track-and-field center is the organization’s centerpiece project, envisioned as a future home for health, wellness, education, retail and competition.
Parking And Traffic Are Already Part Of The Debate
The proposal includes a new surface parking lot and changes to nearby streets, which is already raising eyebrows in a neighborhood that has seen a lot of new development. Urbanize Atlanta reported that early designs show pedestrian improvements on Bass and Ami streets, parking west of the track and potential use of Georgia State University’s Purple Lot during big events.
Residents and neighborhood leaders have voiced concerns about traffic, tree preservation, accessibility, lighting and stormwater runoff, according to Atlanta News First. The project’s FAQ on the Track Club at Cheney site says Georgia Avenue would handle primary vehicle access. Connally, Little and Martin streets would remain residential edges without event-day vehicle access or parking-structure access.
APS Approval Is The Next Hurdle
The current timeline calls for continued community engagement through August, followed by consideration by the Atlanta Public Schools board and a definitive agreement targeted for September. Under the proposal, the land would remain APS-owned with shared-use commitments for APS student athletes, while Atlanta Track Club would own and operate the new building itself.
For Summerhill, the pitch is both nostalgic and ambitious: preserve a living piece of the 1996 Games and give it a much bigger second act. Nothing is locked in yet, and the next few months will decide whether Cheney’s Olympic warmup track gains an indoor partner or stays the neighborhood’s lone major running venue.
