FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Excitement is building around the possibility metro Atlanta hockey fans could once again see a puck drop at an NHL game.
It was standing room only inside a meeting room at Lanier Technical College on Tuesday night for a public participation meeting with the developers of ‘The Gathering at South Forsyth.’
Bud Ellis was one of nearly 200 people who filled the room to hear firsthand from the developers behind the almost $2 billion project.
“Considering how upset my kids were thirteen years ago when the Thrashers left, how upset I was, I didn’t think in my lifetime we’d have an opportunity to have an evening like this,” Bud Ellis explained.
He’s referring to the Atlanta Thrashers, the last NHL team to move its franchise out of Atlanta to Winnipeg, Canada and become the Jets.
However, as many in the room Tuesday night expressed, a lot has changed since 2011. So much so that the group of developers believes they have a real shot at getting an NHL franchise if the league decides to expand.
However, the group is facing one of its largest hurdles yet: next Tuesday's meeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.
The BOC said they’d be presented with an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the county and Krause Sports and Entertainment, the developer for The Gathering at South Forsyth, a proposed $2 billion-plus entertainment hub and arena.
If authorized by the board during the meeting, the MOU will represent a binding agreement between the County and the development group, allowing the developer to proceed with the next steps of the project.
During Tuesday night’s public meeting, the developers discussed Phase One of the proposed 100-acre mixed-use project and showed renderings of the proposed 18,500-seat arena.
Some of the key takeaways included on the site besides the arena wouldn’t only be used for hockey but also for a variety of events, including other sporting events and concerts, as well as 600 multi-family units, which would include some rentals and for sale sites.
The development would also include a hotel tower with condos on top, 250,000 square feet of office space and 350,000 square feet of retail space.
Sharon Payne, who said she lives near the new development, was initially worried about bringing a large arena like this to the community.
However, she said after seeing the project encompasses much more than just an arena, she’s on board.
“The revitalization of the area; I really like the shops, the greenspace will be open, and just give us another space to go.”
Developers said the greenspace will include several walking trails that will allow residents to jump on a new connection to the Big Creek Greenway that runs all the way down to Roswell.
While most of the questions did surround the possibility of an NHL franchise, some residents asked about the consequences if the team pulled out and left, as seen in the past.
Specifically, if the county would be left with major losses from all the investments. Those concerns were addressed, and developers said that’s all part of what will be presented to the Forsyth Board of Commissioners next Tuesday. However, it was said that if this arena is approved, it will be run by an authority like the Georgia World Congress Center Authority.
Traffic was also a concern brought up by residents, but developers assured them it was part of the master plan to make sure traffic was a top priority. Developers said they’ve also been working with nearby neighborhoods to get feedback and find ways to make sure they have a positive outcome.
Developers also mentioned jobs this development would bring. They said there would be 20,000 construction jobs that would be filled, and then once they’re finished, they’re looking at around 7,000 operational job opportunities at ‘The Gathering at South Forsyth.’
The developers said they’re estimating the development would be paying the county somewhere in the ballpark of $8 million in sales tax annually.
As mentioned, the project faces its next hurdle during the board of commissioners meeting. Developers are asking those in support of the project to show up wearing their favorite hockey jersey or simply wear red.
The meeting will include a public hearing, which will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, in the Forsyth County Administration Building at 110 E. Main St., Suite 220, and will be streamed online at forsythco.com.