Featured image credit: SCI Architects
ASM Global has been selected to operate a proposed 18,500-capacity arena in Atlanta that could host an NHL ice hockey franchise.
The arena will anchor The Gathering at South Forsyth, a wide-ranging development that was announced in April 2023 by local businessman Vernon Krause, chief executive of Krause Auto Group.
ASM Global will be involved in all aspects of the arena’s design and planning, and will seek to enhance the fan experience for eventgoers. The arena is set to anchor an 84-acre mixed-use development and entertainment complex that will feature residential, office and retail space, hotels, a fire station, a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office precinct station, and a 1.2-mile extension to the Big Creek Greenway trail system.
Krause Sports and Entertainment is also committed to establishing a community ice centre, featuring facilities for ice hockey and ice skating, at a location to be determined in conjunction with Forsyth County.
Krause said: “ASM Global’s unparalleled track record in top-tier venue management aligns perfectly with our goal of pursuing an NHL franchise for North Georgia. Metro Atlanta’s passionate sports culture, economic strength and continued population growth makes it an ideal market for a professional hockey team.
“We envision The Gathering at South Forsyth as the premier entertainment hub for North Georgia, and selecting ASM Global as our operating partner reinforces our commitment to excellence. We trust their ability to deliver exceptional experiences to fans and elevate the cultural landscape of Forsyth County.”
The Gathering at South Forsyth’s development team will hold a public participation meeting on March 19, with locals invited to hear the latest news about the project and provide their input. The arena is set to cost $1bn (£782m/€916m), with the wider development expected to cost upwards of $2bn. Construction is set to take three to four years.
The site was originally zoned for a regional mall development more than 15 years ago but the plans did not come to fruition and the land has since been empty. SCI Architects has designed the arena.
When the arena plans were announced last April, Carl Hirsch, managing partner of owner’s representative Stafford Sports, insisted that the venue is not being planned with the sole purpose of hosting an NHL team. Forsyth County commissioner Laura Semanson also said that she could not guarantee the arena could host an NHL franchise.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has previously namechecked Atlanta as a city that has expressed an interest in having a franchise, and earlier this week a fresh proposal was put forward to attract a team to the Atlanta metro area.
The suburb of Alpharetta has been earmarked as the destination for a sports and entertainment complex underpinned by a Frank Gehry-designed arena.
Atlanta was previously home to the Flames, from 1972 to 1980, and the Thrashers, from 1999 to 2011. Both teams relocated to Canada, the former to Calgary and the latter to Winnipeg, where it rebranded as the Jets, due to ownership issues and poor attendances in Atlanta.
Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), the parent company of the NBA’s Utah Jazz and the team’s Delta Center arena, in January formally requested that the NHL initiate an expansion process with the purpose of launching a professional hockey franchise in the state of Utah.
Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, said he’s also held talks with the NHL about bringing a team there. However, the league is remaining cautious on the subject of adding to its current 32-team lineup.
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