A major step in the return of the NHL to the Atlanta metro area has been taken. Renderings for the proposed arena and its surrounding development were recently revealed, and a proposal for rezoning the land has been submitted.
As part of this month’s announcement, North Point Mall in Alpharetta would be turned into not just an arena, but a full development reminiscent of The Battery, which surrounds the Atlanta Braves ballpark, Truist Park, in Marietta, Ga.
“Our plan combines an NHL‑ready arena, a vibrant public realm, year‑round programming, and a balanced mix of retail, dining, office, hospitality, and housing to create a walkable destination that serves Alpharetta, attracts regional visitors, and delivers sustained economic value,” Jamestown Director of Development and Construction in North America Frances Bohn said in a press release received by personnel at The Hockey Writers.
It’s time for a deeper dive into what’s coming. Going beyond the initial announcement, I took a look at public records and spoke with the city of Alpharetta to get a more detailed picture of what to expect out of this development.
Hockey Elements of the Development
The centerpiece of the development is the NHL arena. What immediately stood out was the reported size of it. It’s reported to hold 20,000 spectators. Jamestown was asked for clarification on whether this included standing room and luxury box seats, but they did not respond to this specific question. However, they provided renderings of the arena for this story.
This would be one of the largest arenas in the NHL and potentially the largest in the United States. The largest arena in the NHL is the Bell Centre in Montreal, which holds 21,302. The largest arena in the United States that hosts NHL games is the United Center in Chicago. Its official capacity for hockey is 19,717, but it can hold over 22,000 if standing room is included.
So, not only would it be larger than State Farm Arena (known as Phillips Arena when the Atlanta Thrashers called it home), but it would also compete with the capacity of Original Six arenas. NHL capacity at State Farm Arena peaked at 18,545. It was reduced to 17,624 toward the end of the Thrashers’ time in Atlanta.
It’s clear those involved in this development intend to bring NHL hockey back to Atlanta in a big way. They want to fit big crowds.
However, the presence of hockey would go beyond an NHL arena. There will also be a 2,000-seat community hockey rink.
Non-Hockey Elements of the Development
Like The Battery in Marietta, there is a plan to include retail, dining, housing and other elements that come with a full entertainment district.
- 907,000 square feet of retail and dining spaces
- 750,000 square feet of office spaces
- over 16 acres of publicly accessible parks, plazas, and multi-use trails (official submission to the city stated 22 acres)
- For-rent multi-family apartments
- 4,000-seat music hall and performing arts center
- 500-seat movie theater
- 45,000-square-foot hotel conference center
- 400-key full-service hotel
- 300-key hybrid flex-stay hotel
- 150-key select service hotel
According to public records, Dillard’s department store is involved in the redevelopment. The company drafted a letter to the city part endorsing the development. Von Maur, another department store that has a location at North Point Mall, has signed off on it as well. Based on the layout in the proposal, they would have a location in the development.
Part of the submission was a request to allow for buildings up to 30 stories tall. Residential units would be above retail shops.
As part of the development, there is a planned rapid transit stop that could go along it on Georgia 400. This would be on a bus route as opposed to a rail stop.
Where Alpharetta Stands on an NHL Arena, New Development
There are those involved in the process on the city side who welcome an NHL arena connected to a new development at the site of North Port Mall. It would provide an opportunity to bring a modern, vibrant development to the area.
“The mall has lost the luster it once had,” Alpharetta city administrator Chris Lagerbloom said in an interview with The Hockey Writers. “It’s lost the number of people shopping there. It’s quite desolate at certain times. Any development for that area, I think, is a positive for the city.”
They consider themselves the ideal fit for an NHL team compared to a different suburban city north of Atlanta or the city itself. There would be hurdles, but none were considered insurmountable. He said that other details, such as funding, are hoped to be figured out in the coming days.
Lagerbloom provides Alpharetta with firsthand experience in working with NHL-related developments. When he was a city manager for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he worked with the Florida Panthers to lay the groundwork for what became their current training complex, the IcePlex. He now looks forward to further building his connection to the game through the lens of the Atlanta metro area and seeing how it can positively impact the area.
“I’ve seen what hockey can do in a community, and it can do really good things.”
Involvement of Prospective Ownership Groups
There does not appear to be any direct involvement from a prospective ownership group. However, the clear target is Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, led by TNT analyst and former NHL player Anson Carter. They have previously expressed interest in an arena at this exact site.
Lagerbloom said that conversations between Alpharetta and Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group have been ongoing. It is presumed that Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group has had discussions related to the development.
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The prospective ownership group led by Vernon Krause is not considered a group looking at this development. Their focus is on an arena that’s part of their own proposed development, The Gathering at South Forsyth. They went out of their way to write up a piece on their website discussing how it’s the superior location.
While that location, on paper, has an Alpharetta address, it’s not in the city itself. This is not a win-win situation for the city.
What’s Left to Be Approved?
There are steps needed before this development can come to fruition. There will be a series of meetings over the course of the next few months.
First, there will be two community zoning information meetings (CZIM). This gives the prospective developers a chance to present their plans to the public. Those are set to take place on May 13 and June 10. Both dates are on a Wednesday and have a start time of 6 p.m.
Two more key dates include a planning commission hearing on Thursday, July 9, at 6:30 p.m. and a city council hearing on Monday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. The exact agendas for those meetings have yet to be announced.
This should give an idea of the full process of getting through just the rezoning process. There will still be more to work on after that is settled. Once all the rezoning is approved, they can take the following steps required to start getting the new arena and development built.
There’s plenty left to develop, but after some time where the wheels appeared to be spinning, perhaps some traction is starting to be found. Based on the timeline, it’ll likely be a few months before we get a major update on this development, but it will be coming, for better or for worse.
