Yesterday, the Metro Atlanta area became one step closer to an NHL team, in a major move for professional sports in the state of Georgia. On August 24th, the Alpharetta City Council voted to approve the vision to transform North Point Mall into a sports-adjacent, mixed-use entertainment district… which would include a 20,000-seat NHL-ready arena, among other developments!
Keep scrolling to learn more.
Alpharetta’s mixed-use entertainment district & NHL expansion franchise
Over three decades ago, North Point Mall opened as one of the largest malls in the country and a landmark for a city on the rise… but it was unable to keep up with the city’s pace, and growing & changing needs. That’s why this redevelopment project is so important now.
Now, Alpharetta needs a mixed-use entertainment district anchored by a stunning new sports facility. And that’s just what the team plans to deliver.
Some of the project’s highlights include:
- 20,000-seat NHL-ready arena
- 4,000-seat music hall and performing arts center
- 2,000-seat community hockey rink
- 1,100-seat movie theater
- 35,000-square-foot hotel conference center
- up to 650 rooms across two hotel buildings
- approximately 565,000 square feet of retail and dining options
- 750,000 square feet of office space
- 1,385 for-rent multifamily units
- 20+ acres of publicly accessible parks, plazas & multi-use trails
Tim Perry, Chief Investment Officer at Jamestown, the real estate & placemaking firm leading the project proposal (on behalf of site owner New York Life and in partnership with Machete Group), said in a statement,
We are thrilled to have achieved this significant milestone and grateful to the City of Alpharetta, its elected officials, staff, and the community for their thorough review and support of our vision for North Point’s future. This approval reflects the City’s confidence in the transformative opportunity of the project and in Jamestown’s ability to bring this vision to life. It also positions North Point to become a regional, year-round destination for professional sports, entertainment, and mixed-use experiences, while bringing substantial investment, economic impact, and community benefit.
So… what’s next?
With the rezoning now approved, Jamestown, Machete Group, and New York Life will advance the project through its next stages of planning, design and development with support from a team of industry-leading firms including HKS Architects for master planning and architectural design and Kimley-Horn for serving as civil engineer and traffic/transportation consultant.
Of course, this project will take time, but as we know specific dates for when things are completed, we’ll let you know too!
Wait… doesn’t Atlanta have an NHL team?
No, Atlanta does not currently have an NHL team. Atlanta’s two previous NHL teams didn’t last very long, the Flames in 1972 (which moved to Calgary in 1980) and the Thrashers in 1997 (which moved to Canada in 2011).
And this doesn’t mean that Atlanta will definitely get an NHL team. Transforming the North Point Mall into a hockey arena is meant to entice an NHL team to Atlanta.