Alpharetta Council Approves NHL Arena at Historic Mall

Hockey fans are talking loud about two new teams joining the NHL, with one likely landing in Austin or Houston. The other spot seems destined for Atlanta again. One of the groups pushing for a team there just crossed a major line this week.

The Alpharetta city council in northern Georgia voted 4-3 to greenlight turning North Point Mall into a mixed-use entertainment district. That plan includes a massive arena big enough for an NHL franchise. Tim Perry, Chief Investment Officer at Jamestown, called the moment significant. "We are thrilled to have achieved this significant milestone and grateful to the City of Alpharetta, its elected officials, staff, and the community for their thorough review and support of our vision for North Point's future," he said in a statement. He added that the approval shows trust in the project and sets up North Point as a year-round destination for sports and entertainment while driving real investment into the local economy.

The arena would seat 20,000 people, making it the second-largest rink in the league after Montreal's Bell Centre. The complex also plans to host a 4,000-seat music hall and performing arts center, a 2,000-seat community hockey rink, an 1,100-seat movie theater, a 35,000-square-foot hotel conference center, and hundreds of rooms spread across two hotels.

Jamestown led the proposal with site owner New York Life, working alongside developer Machete Group which handles similar projects. But this is not the only bid on the table. Another group wants to build an NHL venue in Forsyth County just seven miles away, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The area has hosted the sport before. The Atlanta Flames played from 1972 until they moved to Calgary in 1980. Later, the Thrashers took over from 1999 through 2011 before heading to Winnipeg and becoming the Jets. Right now, the region is home to the ECHL's Atlanta Gladiators, who play Duluth and serve as an affiliate of the Nashville Predators.

Access to this kind of opportunity remains strictly limited. Only a few cities get the chance to bid on expansion teams while the rest wait in line. The clock is ticking fast for anyone hoping to secure their own arena before someone else does.