Entertainment mogul and longtime Atlantan Tyler Perry appears to finally be moving toward his goal of turning part of former U.S. Army base Fort McPherson into a mixed redevelopment designed to be public-accessible and a boon for surrounding neighborhoods.

Perry representatives on Friday filed paperwork with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs requesting a Development of Regional Impact review for a mixed-use expansion of Perry’s studio complex in Southwest Atlanta. 

The property in question covers roughly 38 acres of the former U.S. Army base, next to Perry’s existing studios and within a short walk of MARTA’s Lakewood/Fort McPherson transit station. Perry purchased the land for $8.5 million about two and ½ years ago.  

According to the DRI filing, the “Tyler Perry Entertainment District” would encompass almost 1.3 million square feet of development. Uses would include a theatre, retail space, office space, and parking, according to the filing. 

The broader vision detailed in 2021 for a new mixed-use district next to Tyler Perry Studios. SHAPE/Perkins & Will

No residential development is mentioned. But elsewhere on the Fort Mac property, near rows of historic buildings at the property’s northern end, a firm led by megachurch Bishop T.D. Jakes has been planning for years to transform a much larger slice of land—96 acres—into a separate project with residential, including senior housing. Another DRI filing for that project’s initial phase was filed in January.

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. 

We’ve asked the project applicant—the listed developer is Scott Samples, a real estate advisor—representing Perry for more details, including a construction timeline. This story will be updated with any additional information that comes. 

The DRI filing indicates the full scope of the Lee Street project is scheduled to be finished by January 2028.  

Site redevelopment calls for demolishing nine current buildings on site totaling more than 200,000 square feet, according to the AJC. 

Overview of the former Fort McPherson's historic Army buildings (top) and Perry's 330-acre studio complex. The mixed-use expansion is planned adjacent to the current studios. Google Maps

How the public-accessible streets of a revived Fort Mac could look, according to renderings unveiled in 2021. SHAPE/Perkins & Will

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. It’s walled off from the public today. 

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. 

Perry in early 2024 hit the brakes on a planned $800-million studio expansion that would have added 12 soundstages in Southwest Atlanta, citing concerns artificial intelligence will have on the industry and its production processes. 

Earlier this year, a $260-million sexual assault lawsuit was filed against Perry, but the filmmaker and actor has denied those claims. 

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