Jamestown to Lead Redevelopment of Forsyth's North Point Mall into Sports-Anchored Campus

Jamestown, the Atlanta-based developer behind Ponce City Market, has been selected by New York Life to lead redevelopment of the roughly 100-acre North Point Mall site in Alpharetta and will assume property management beginning in March, according to a Feb. 26 announcement and a March 5 report in the Johns Creek Herald. Jamestown’s role includes pursuing entitlements and guiding predevelopment work on the mall parcel while the broader planning context sits inside a 646-acre Tax Allocation District created by the City of Alpharetta.

Jamestown said the project vision centers on a sports-anchored mixed-use campus that pairs an NHL-capable arena with housing, retail, office, hotels, transit connections, and public spaces. Frances Bohn, director of development & construction at Jamestown, summarized that approach: “We believe great places are made in collaboration with the communities they serve. Our goal is to pair a state-of-the-art NHL arena with walkable streets, activated public spaces, and a dynamic mix of multi-family, shops, offices, and hospitality in alignment with the City’s vision for the future.”

The developer is explicit that attracting an NHL expansion franchise or owner is an objective for the site. Tim Perry, chief investment officer at Jamestown, said: “We think this is a great location for an NHL team and, hopefully, our efforts will attract an owner who wants to acquire an expansion team and bring hockey back to Atlanta.” An Instagram post included in the announcement materials referenced a 17,000–18,000 seat arena, though that seating figure appears only on the Instagram item and was not confirmed in other news reports.

Jamestown will work with Houston-based Machete Group on the plan; Machete Group is described in the announcement materials as a specialist in sports and entertainment venue advisory and development with credits on projects tied to the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLS. New York Life remains the property owner while Jamestown steps into the lead developer/manager role, according to the syndicated Feb. 26 release republished by multiple outlets.

City policy already anticipates large-scale redevelopment: Alpharetta’s City Council created a 646-acre Tax Allocation District that covers North Point Mall and surrounding commercial properties to support mixed-use projects and potential public infrastructure investments. North Point Mall originally opened in 1993 and was one of the country’s largest indoor malls at the time; recent coverage notes the center has struggled in recent years with store closures.

Specifics remain limited: no final site plan, financing amounts, construction timeline, arena operator, or confirmed NHL engagement were released with the selection announcement. Jamestown’s immediate next steps, as stated in the press materials, are to pursue entitlements, complete predevelopment work, and manage the property beginning in March, with program details to be determined and public approvals required before construction can proceed. The selection of a developer with arena experience, the city’s 646-acre TAD, and the stated objective of attracting an NHL team set the frame for a multi-year redevelopment push that will move into public entitlement and review in the months ahead.