Gathering at South Forsyth nears groundbreaking as NHL bid awaits
The Gathering at South Forsyth is preparing to break ground on a $3 billion district, with an NHL expansion decision still hanging over the arena plan.
Developers of The Gathering at South Forsyth are preparing to break ground on the 100-acre project, moving the $3 billion district from approvals toward construction in south Forsyth as the NHL weighs Atlanta expansion. The plan centers on an arena sized at roughly 18,000 to 18,500 seats, with hotels, homes, restaurants and shops built around it.
Forsyth County approved definitive documents for the project on June 11, 2025, after first approving a memorandum of understanding with Krause Sports and Entertainment on March 26, 2024. The arrangement was designed to let the developer proceed while tying county funding support to the future award of an NHL franchise. Vernon Krause, the founder of Krause Sports and Entertainment, has positioned the arena as part of a larger effort to bring professional hockey back to Georgia.
The county has also launched an updated project webpage and video, and it has pointed to a Nov. 5 ballot item involving redevelopment powers tied to the development. Local leaders have compared the district to The Battery Atlanta in Cobb County, where sports, retail, housing and entertainment were built into one district around Truist Park.
Grading, utility work and road pressure would come before any arena opening, and the surrounding commercial market could benefit early from contractors, suppliers, and future hotel and restaurant demand tied to the district’s buildout.
In September 2025, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league wanted a “fully baked plan” before considering Atlanta expansion, and the league met with multiple Atlanta-area groups in July 2025. Atlanta has already hosted two NHL franchises, the Flames from 1972 to 1980 and the Thrashers from 1999 to 2011.
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