Business leader John Aderhold dies

Atlanta business and civic leader John E. Aderhold, known for his role in developing the Georgia Dome downtown, died Wednesday afternoon, according to an announcement from Central Atlanta Progress.

Aderhold, 85, who lived at the Wakefield on Peachtree Road in Buckhead, died after a long illness with his wife, Helen, and his son, Tom, by his side, according to an email from A.J. Robinson, CAP president.

"From the Georgia Dome to the 1996 Olympics, John has helped guide and grow Atlanta," Robinson said. "Well-known in the community for helping to create a loft-living fervor in the city’s central business district, John's legacy includes the Georgia State University Helen M. Aderhold Learning Center, named to honor his wife's prolific volunteer activities as a university alumna."

The recipient of CAP's first Dan Sweat Award in 2001, Aderhold held numerous board positions and was the recipient of some 50 honorary degrees and awards, the CAP statement said.

Longtime Atlanta business columnist Maria Saporta, in her Saporta Report, noted that Aderhold led the development of the Georgia Dome in his role as chairman of the World Congress Center.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.