Forsyth County Board greenlights financial study on proposed arena, community

FORSTYH COUNTY, Ga. - Leaders in Forsyth County decided Tuesday to move forward with a financial study that will help them determine whether to build a mixed use development and arena in south Forsyth County similar to The Battery near Truist Park.

The study was discussed during a Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. The board did not say how much the study would cost or when it would approve how much it would be willing to spend on it.

Last month, a Georgia developer announced a proposal to convert more than 100 acres of open land at Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road near Georgia 400 into a multipurpose "live, work, play" venue including an 18,000-seat arena.

The Gathering at South Forsyth would feature restaurants, stores, a business hotel, and residential units. A 750,000-square-foot arena would anchor the venue.

The land was slated for a mall 15 years ago. Developers say the whole project be about a $1.5 to $2 billion.

The hope, for many, is the new arena could lure yet another NHL franchise to the area.

Atlanta already has State Farm Arena, which seats just over 19,000 for basketball, just under 18,000 for ice hockey, and up to 22,000 for other live events. Right now, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks are the only professional team to call the arena home. It was the home of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers from 1999 to 2011, before the team moved to Winnipeg. It also was briefly home to the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

In nearby Duluth, Gas South Arena can hold about 13,000 fans and is home to ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators and NLL’s Georgia Swarm.

Developers believe there is plenty of room for another venue of this size.