ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The City of Alpharetta is taking a major step toward transforming North Point Mall and possibly bringing professional hockey back to metro Atlanta.
City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said officials have approved a tax allocation district clearing the way for a multi-billion-dollar mixed use development with a professional hockey arena.
“We don’t want it to be just another Avalon. We don’t want it to be just another city center. We want it to be North Point,” Lagerbloom said. “All of the studies that we’ve done point to 17,000-18,000 seats that is the modern-day arena size.”
Many metro Atlanta residents agree the property needs a new look, but building an arena on the property for the national hockey league comes with mixed reviews.
“It will definitely bring pros and cons, and I don’t think we will know exactly how it will manifest until it happens but on one hand it could bring a lot of economic development to the area and then on the other hand it could also create a lot of traffic,” Alpharetta resident Chloe Varnas said.
Right now, the only hockey in town is the Atlanta Gladiators, a minor league affiliate located in Gwinnett County, but Cheryl and Rob McClements would love to see a pro team here.
“We’re from the Detroit area, so we were always big Red Wings fans. We are big hockey fans. And we’ve traveled as far as Gwinnett to go watch hockey over there. So, this is all a plus. It sounds good to us,” the McClements said.
But North Point has some competition. Another group is pushing a separate arena project known as The Gathering at South Forsyth, a nearby development also vying to land a professional hockey franchise.
“We are obviously closer to Atlanta. We are in Fulton County. We have two exits on GA 400 transportation wise to make it a lot easier there,” Laberbloom said.
There is a good chance more about the proposed development at North Point will be released soon. No word on when the NHL will decide on whether professional hockey will return to the area.
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