So far in this new year, Kirkwood’s 27-acre “creative city within a city” has certainly been in the business of creation.

Less than two weeks since it was announced, the majority of infrastructure for Fan Controlled Football’s arena at the historic Pratt Pullman District is standing, lending a sense of the project’s scope. The hangar-like structure is visible from all directions across the multi-block site.  

FCF describes the 1,500-seat venue as a state-of-the-art setting for sports and entertainment productions. The 85,000-square-foot structure will offer a mix of field-level lounges, luxury suites, and other seating that puts fans close to game action. The second FCF season is scheduled to kick off April 16. 

What remains to be seen is how long the arena will be there, rivaling Pullman’s iconic train-shed structures in size and dwarfing others that are historically protected.

View of the FCF arena from the south, near the recently opened Broadstone Pullman apartment complex. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Adam Rosenfelt, Atomic Entertainment cofounder and the Pullman property's owner since 2017, couldn’t speak to whether the structure will be permanent or not during a phone interview. [UPDATE: Following publication of this story, a source clarifies that the venue is indeed a temporary production facility.] 

Rosenfelt did say the Pullman structure is similar to a temporary concert venue erected at Atlantic Station for a Foo Fighters/Run the Jewels show prior to Atlanta’s most recent Super Bowl, with the same Las Vegas-based company building it. He stressed that it’s a versatile venue for entertainment productions.

Fan Controlled Football, which is billed as “the first league ever where the fans call the shots,” is partnering with the same content creation company, Crazy Legs Productions, that assisted with the first season at Duluth’s Infinite Energy Center last year.

One-hour games pit teams of seven players against each other on a field half the size of those in the NFL. Fans vote during games on Twitch, or via an FCF app, to determine which offensive plays will be run in real-time. FCF debuted in February last year with four original teams, and four new expansion teams will be added to the league this year.

The second FCF season is expected to conclude in June, according to promotional materials. Have a closer look at what’s coming—and where it stands now—in the above gallery.

The 1,500-seat arena's structure as seen this week from Rogers Street in Kirkwood. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Beyond the fan-dictated pigskin, upcoming events at Pullman include the Uncorked Wine Fest this weekend, a block party for Atlanta United’s season kickoff February 26, the return of Pullman Pops' open-air orchestra this spring, and an Andrew Bird/Iron & Wine concert in July.  

The district is also scheduled to host Imagine Picasso: The Immersive Exhibition in the historic shed-like building that housed a similar Van Gogh experience for seven months last year. The Picasso event is now expected to run from March 8 to June 19.

According to Pullman’s Facebook page, “enthusiastic bartenders” are being hired to staff forthcoming restaurants (a "Chef’s Market" with rotating concepts), the public courtyard (currently closed for renovations), and the concert venue.   

Also this spring, the Science Gallery at Emory University is partnering with Pullman leaders to stage a series of exhibitions in a building near the center of the property that’s being converted into a gallery space, near the new Broadstone Pullman apartments.

That venue, as Rosenfelt stressed, is one of only a few like it in the world. All programs and exhibitions will be free to attend.

Photos: Inside Atlantic Station's new basketball arena (Urbanize Atlanta)