The development team behind a $2 billion entertainment district and arena has filed paperwork revealing new details behind the sprawling Forsyth County project aimed at potentially returning an NHL team to metro Atlanta.

The Gathering at South Forsyth would not only feature an 18,000-seat venue, similar in scope to downtown Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, but the ambitious project would also include 2,400 residential units and 500 hotel rooms, reminiscent in scope to the Atlanta Braves’ Battery development next to Truist Park.

A Development of Regional Impact filing Tuesday also outlines plans for 1 million square feet of office space, a 90,000-square-foot community center and ice rink, 600,000 square feet of retail space and a 15,000 square foot fire station.

Those numbers slightly vary from the figures released in Monday’s news release, which announced the project. DRIs are required for gigantic projects that will affect more than just the city or county where the project is located. The filing was made to the Atlanta Regional Commission, which will vet the application and analyze how local infrastructure will be affected.

Vernon Krause, the CEO of Krause Auto Group, is the project’s sole attributed owner. He paid $52 million in August to buy the 101-acre development site, the development team’s spokesperson said.

The development team said the project will be developed in stages, with the arena being the top priority. The arena would take roughly three years to build. The entire Gathering at South Forsyth project is expected to be complete in 2033, according to the DRI.

The site is located along Ronald Reagan Boulevard, McGinnis Ferry Road and Union Hill Road. The development team plans to extend Ronald Reagan Boulevard, widen McGinnis Ferry Road and add a new Ga. 400 interchange.

On April 25, the development team has said it will file a request with the county for an overlay district. The zoning request will first be discussed at the county commission’s 2 p.m. work session that day. Public engagement listening sessions will begin in May.

About the Author

Keep Reading

One reader is asking the AJC to help her find cottage cheese made by Mayfield. (Ihar Balaikin/Dreamstime/TNS)

Credit: TNS

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com