Vision emerges for Alpharetta mall redo, NHL stadium complex

A recently formed development team is moving forward with plans for a titanic mixed-use development in Alpharetta that could rival The Battery Atlanta’s scope, only with pro hockey as an anchor instead of baseball. 

It's the second mini-city concept in Atlanta's northern suburbs angling to appeal to the National Hockey League as a potential landing spot. 

With a stated goal of “bringing the NHL back to greater Atlanta,” Jamestown and New York Life submitted a rezoning application Monday to the City of Alpharetta in hopes of advancing the long-sought redevelopment of North Point Mall’s nearly 100-acre site. 

Tentative plans call for the aging 1990s shopping hub to be remade as a dense, walkable district anchored by a 20,000-seat NHL arena, positioned just off Ga. Highway 400, according to project officials and fresh renderings. 

The district would be designed to lure in NHL hockey fans and other regional visitors, including Alpharetta residents and workers, according to Jamestown, best known in Atlanta as Ponce City Market’s developer, and New York Life, the mall’s owner. 

Jamestown officials revealed their involvement in the arena-centric North Point Mall redevelopment in late February. 

Beyond the hockey stadium, the new proposal calls for a 4,000-seat music hall and performing arts center; a 2,000-seat community hockey rink; a 500-seat movie theater; a 45,000-square-foot hotel conference center; and three different hotels (full-service, hybrid flex-stay, and select-service options) with 850 rooms total. 

But that’s not all. 

Elsewhere, plans call for a whopping 907,000 square feet of retail and dining spaces; 750,000 square feet reserved for office uses; and more than 16 acres of public parks, plazas, and multi-use trails. 

The residential component could see development of 1,385 multifamily units for rent, according to Jamestown and New York Life. 

If approved and funded, the development would roll out in phases. 

Project leaders say North Point Mall's makeover plans are aligned with the Alpharetta Comprehensive Plan and the city’s proposed Tax Allocation District, with the goal of increasing the city’s tax base, delivering jobs, and boosting the area’s cachet.  

Following the zoning application, the next pre-development steps call for a public review and approval process. Included in that will be public hearings and community open houses where developers will seek feedback from locals, area organizations, and business owners. 

The district calls for setting “a new standard for suburban placemaking,” Frances Bohn, Jamestown’s director of development and construction in North America, said in a statement. “Our plan combines an NHL‑ready arena, a vibrant public realm, year‑round programming, and a balanced mix of retail, dining, office, hospitality, and housing to create a walkable destination.”

Jamestown is overseeing predevelopment activity for New York Life and took over mall property management on March 1. HKS Architects is leading master planning and architectural design, while Machete Group—a development and real estate advisory firm that specializes in building stadiums, sports arenas, and mixed-use districts—is advising on the arena facet and overall development. 

What public funding could be sought for the district isn’t yet known. 

In metro Atlanta’s NHL sweepstakes, the Alpharetta initiative will have to compete with a $3-billion concept that gained steam last year about six miles up Ga. Highway 400 in fast-growing Forsyth County. 

The Gathering at South Forsyth—first proposed in 2023—has made key hires and scored government approvals despite requiring several hundred million dollars in public financing to be feasible. The concept by Vernon Krause—a car dealership entrepreneur and head of Krause Sports and Entertainment, turned potential developer—would take shape on 100 acres he owns along the same highway. 

The Gathering could also rival Braves-anchored The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, but all of it—including $350 million in tax incentives tentatively approved by the Forsyth County Commission—hinges on the NHL deciding to award metro Atlanta its third pro hockey franchise. That’s still not a sure bet. 

NHL brass has given no indication when they’ll decide on expansion, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said Atlanta’s past two failures to keep NHL franchises here won’t count against the region.

Atlanta’s Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980, and following a dozen years in downtown Atlanta, the Thrashers decamped to Winnipeg in 2011. 

Metro Atlanta’s population has swollen by more than 1.5 million people since the Thrashers skedaddled to Canada, making it the second largest U.S. market without a pro hockey team right now, following only Houston.

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Alpharetta news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)