ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council and the Community Engagement Subcommittee of the Fort McPherson LRA Board held a meeting Monday to hear Tyler Perry's vision for the additional acreage he purchased.
Board member and Atlanta City Councilwoman, Joyce Sheperd says she invited the movie mogul to the meeting on Monday as a commitment to keep developers and residents connected.
“A lot of developers come in and they just come in and build and they don’t have a connection to the community. Mr. Perry is committed to the community," explained Sheperd.
The board member says Perry hopes to add 37 acres onto his studio property to be turned into an entertainment and residential district. She says Perry shared renderings of his plans that feature multiple hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, playgrounds, and a theater.
“Just the array of things that’s talking about building out is so exciting," added Sheperd.
Sheperd also said Perry made a promise during the meeting that no resident would be pushed out or displaced due to the new development.
Back in June, Tyler Perry and mega-church leader Bishop TD Jakes got the approval to purchase a total of 132 acres at Fort McPherson in southwest Atlanta. The 37.5 acres Perry acquired sits adjacent to Tyler Perry Studios -- adding to the more than 330 acres he purchased in 2015.
T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures is buying about 94 acres.
Perry previously said the expansion would include an entertainment district, complete with a theatre district, retail shops and restaurants.
Jakes' group said they were committed to developing real estate and programs in response to the need for affordable and workforce housing, according to the news release.
"I’m looking forward to collaborating with my friend T.D. Jakes on his separate but adjacent project and I also want to thank Governor Kemp and Mayor Bottoms for their continued efforts to make Atlanta a better place," Perry said in a statement released in June.
Perry's studio is one of the largest production facilities in the country. It features 40 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, twelve purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of greenspace and a diverse backlot, according to its website.