Massive Fort McPherson redevelopment shows signs of life

Filings recently made with the State of Georgia bring the long-planned redevelopment of a former U.S. Army base in Southwest Atlanta into clearer focus—and set a firm date as to when a new village of various uses could open.

Plans for the sweeping remake of a section of Fort McPherson next to Tyler Perry Studios have been percolating for more than a decade. The scale and design have been tweaked, and groundbreakings tentatively set, but no significant redevelopment work has moved forward.

Paperwork filed Tuesday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs indicates that could be starting to change.

The Development of Regional Impact application proposes turning the final 96 acres of developable land at the Fort McPherson base, or Fort Mac, into a multi-phase project that leans heavily into commercial and office space, at least at the outset.  

The Fort Mac Local Redevelopment Authority in late 2023 unanimously approved the lease of that land to a firm led by Bishop T.D. Jakes, the founder and pastor of The Potter’s House Church in Dallas who also produces movies.

This week’s DRI filing calls the project “TD Jakes—Fort Mac Village One.”

The initial phase calls for 105,000 square feet of commercial space, 84,300 square feet of offices,  and about 85,000 square feet for senior living. Another 36,000 square feet would be devoted to food service, per the DRI filing.

The estimated completion date for the first phase is listed as 2028.

Jakes’ team is requesting the project be evaluated at the regional level, given its scope. The DRI classification, which applies to projects large enough to effect multiple jurisdictions, is meant to streamline the development process and help gather local input. 

The project’s developer is listed as a Dallas-based LLC called Fort Mac Village One.

All told, the Fort Mac redevelopment would see four different zones: Market District, Heritage District, Campbellton District, and Western District. It also calls for the restoration of existing historic buildings, with additional uses including hotel and school spaces, and both multifamily and single-family homes.

The section of Fort Mac in question is near the northeast corner of the old Army base, located off Lee Street about five miles south of downtown. The Army post closed back in 2011.

Jakes has been involved with Fort Mac’s redevelopment since 2021. He’s previously said workforce and affordable housing—designed to meet a nation need—will be a primary focus on land not controlled by Tyler Perry’s movie studio complex. The 67-year-old celebrity pastor suffered a health scare during a megachurch sermon in November but has since recovered.

Paperwork filed by Jakes’ firm with the city in 2023 indicates the project’s scope could eventually rival almost any mixed-use proposal in metro Atlanta. On the residential side alone, site plans call for more than 900 multifamily dwellings, 200 townhomes, 181 standalone houses, the senior living facility, and a 207-room hotel with rental units.

Renderings by New York-based architecture firm Perkins Eastman indicate larger new buildings at Fort McPherson would lean into a modern esthetic, while single-family houses would be more traditional. Updated visuals show one building functioning as a food hall with a bar inside, while another shows a central plaza dotted with food trucks.  

The entire former Army post spans nearly 500 acres, and Perry controls more than 350 acres of it, having built a sprawling, 40-plus-building complex considered one of the country’s largest TV and film production facilities.

Situated just south of the Fort Mac redevelopment site, Perry’s sets range from a classic diner, farmhouse, and county jail to a realistic White House replica.

Find a more detailed preview of Fort Mac redevelopment plans, according to city filings and updated renderings, in the gallery above. 

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