As Brookhaven City Centre prepares to open amid a glass dome design blunder, a black tie gala will be the first event held in the space on July 25, but determining the guest list seems to be yet another gaffe in the process.
Brookhaven City Centre, located at 4001 Peachtree Road, is the first city hall to be built on a MARTA station property. The $78 million building will house administrative and government offices, meeting rooms, a rooftop terrace, and a coffee shop.
According to the city, up to 400 people may be invited to the gala but the guest list has not been finalized. The list tentatively includes current and former officials, local, state and federal officials, city management, and community stakeholders.
A series of emails from Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce and the city have been issued to community members and elected officials. One email revealed disorganization around the guest list – some Brookhaven Chamber members were invited and promptly uninvited within a few hours.
Communication from Si Morris, Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce business development manager, apologized for the error.
“An email was sent out yesterday inviting you to the City Hall Gala. Ms. Hayes from the city made a human error in sending the invite out to all chamber members as well as the board. Due to the limited space, they will not be able to accommodate our board or our members. Just the chairman and I are invited. There will be plenty of time to see this new facility, in fact we are having our Signature Luncheon on Sept. 11 there. I am sorry for the confusion,” Morris wrote.
Mayor John Park and other elected officials often refer to City Centre as “the people’s house,” but members of the public were not invited to the gala. A grand opening celebration is planned on Saturday, Aug. 9. The building will be open for business on Monday, Aug. 11 according to Communications Director Burke Brennan. City staff will begin moving into the in building prior to the grand opening.
Explore Brookhaven, the city’s tourism arm, has scheduled fall events at the centre, including Brookhaven Bam Bird mahjong weekend on Sept. 20-21 and Taste Brookhaven on Oct. 2. A Brookhaven police officer will be the first to be married in City Centre.
