Year In Review: 9 Huge Things That Happened In Atlanta in 2016

ATLANTA, GA -- Georgia's largest city saw a lot of progress in 2016: New buildings, new faces and bold new plans were announced throughout the year. The developments that came to fruition promise to shape the metro area for decades to come.

If we think about the various sectors of the city that make Atlanta what it is -- real estate, sports, politics, entertainment -- 2016 was a year of monumental news.

For instance, the year saw ground being broken on several important retail and office spaces around the city. It also saw the final season for the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. As we look back over the previous 12 months, here are some things that stood out along the way:

Prince Gave His Final Performance in Atlanta

Few people could imagine that when Prince came to the Fox Theatre for an intimate, stripped down performance on April 14, that it would be his last. The artist had originally planned to play Atlanta on April 7, but he canceled for an undisclosed reason at the time. The word was that he had gotten a bug of some sort and needed a few more days to recover. So he announced that he'd play two shows at the Fox a week later as part of his "Prince & a Microphone" show. Prince Rogers Nelson dropped dead in his elevator days later just outside Minneapolis. The Atlanta show will go down in history as the last time audiences heard the musical genius play.

Dwight Howard Comes Home

The Atlanta Hawks finally lured an all-star hometown hero to the city after seeing some of the metro area's biggest sports stars bolt for greener pastures elsewhere. Dwight Howard signed a three-year deal with the Hawks in July. The Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy center was the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in 2004. He spent time with the Lakers and Rockets before coming back to Atlanta.

Atlanta Got a Super Bowl, Y'all

In May, the city was chosen to host the 2019 Super Bowl, a boon for area businesses and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who championed the benefits of a shiny new venue, Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The $1.4 billion stadium will host the Falcons and the city's new soccer club, Atlanta United.

Craig Sager Passed Away

Beloved sports announcer Craig Sager passed away Dec. 15 after a two-year battle with leukemia. His death touched off an emotional outpouring from metro Atlanta fans, sports luminaries and even the presidentof the United States. The 65-year-old Atlanta sports icon known for his colorful suits was memorialized at Mount Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta.

The Atlanta Braves Said Goodbye to The Ted

The year 2016 will be seen as the end of an era for Atlanta Braves baseball. Not only did the ballclub suffer through an uneven season and fire its manager, but it left Turner Field, the place it has called home for nearly 20 years. Starting with Opening Day 2017, the Braves will play in SunTrust Park, a Disney-like entertainment complex a short walk from cosmopolitan shopping, bars and residential spaces. Fittingly though, the Braves won their final game at The Ted, beating the Detroit Tigers 1-0 on Oct. 2.

Real Estate Came Back In a Major Way

Real estate prices around the city have lagged since the 2008 downturn, but 2016 saw an uptick that promises to carry over into the new year. Illustrative of the trend was the sale of the most expensive one-bedroom residence in Atlanta's history. A one-bedroom, one-and-1/2-bathroom condo unit at the Loews Hotel Residences sold for $750,000, according to Curbed Atlanta.

Atlanta Become Known As 'Atlanta'

Pop culture has long been fascinated with Atlanta, with its shrimp and grits breakfasts and every-other-corner Waffle Houses, but nothing could have prepared the city for the constant promotion elicited from the FX show "Atlanta" produced by and starring Donald Glover. The comedy-drama, which was nominated for two Golden Globes, showed nuanced sides of the city that many people only know as the home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coca-Cola.

'Stranger Things' a Surprise Hit For Netflix

Although it pretended to take place in a small town in Indiana, Netflix's surprise summer smash “Stranger Things” was filmed in Atlanta and surrounding areas such as Conyers, Douglasville, Jackson and Fayetteville. Although Netflix doesn't release analytics, the mysterious series generated some serious buzz with its "Goonies" meets "Poltergeist" plotline. The show also cemented the metro area's status as the go-to film/TV production locale, popularized by the success of "The Walking Dead" and Tyler Perry's movies.

Nathan Deal Shuts Down 'Religious Freedom Bill'

Saying that the legislation "contained language that causes me concern," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the controversial Religious Freedom bill in March. The bill led to an outcry from Georgia businesses, many of whom stating that they would boycott the state or leave, if Deal approved the measure. The legislation would have allowed faith-based groups to refuse services or terminate employees based on sexual orientation.

Of course, there were many other developments over the past 12 months that warranted our attention. The city promises to make even more headlines in 2017 as major developments in finance, real estate and movies take shape.

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