Proposed Atlanta NHL Arena Gets Key Yes Vote as Expansion Talks Heat Up

A major city council vote went in favor of helping lure the NHL back to the Atlanta market. Alpharetta, Ga., City Council held a major vote on the rezoning plan for North Point Mall so it could be positioned to be redeveloped into a mixed-use development that would include an NHL arena.

The motion for the NHL arena passed just after 1 a.m. EDT on Tuesday by a narrow 4-3 margin. Six and a half hours after it began Monday night, it was over. A writer for The Hockey Writers was present for the city council meeting.

This development is tied to an NHL team committing to play in Alpharetta at this site. An NHL team has until August 2031 to commit, or else the project won’t move forward.

Members of the city council expressed confidence that the return of the NHL is inevitable. Knowing the potential gains that could be heading to the competing development six miles north of them, The Gathering at South Forsyth, which is being developed by Krause Sports and Entertainment, led by local auto dealership owner Vernon Krause, they felt encouraged to support this new development.

“I absolutely believe the NHL is coming to Atlanta,” Alpharetta city councilman John Hipes, a yes vote, said when giving his final thoughts. “I absolutely believe it’s coming to either here or Forsyth County. I believe that. We’re the seventh-largest TV market in the country. Houston’s the sixth largest. They’ve signaled that they’re going to expand. They’re going to the sixth-largest market. They’re going to do it in even numbers. They’re going to come to Atlanta, the seventh-largest market.”

A lack of an NHL at this time was a concern that arose during the meeting. While there is a five-year window, Alpharetta city councilman Douglas DeRito, a no vote, said he felt there was a potential for the wait to be longer than that.

“You know, it’s going to take time,” he said during the meeting. “And the concurrency of the conditions tying everything to the frugal NHL announcing that they’ve selected Alpharetta comes around. We could be looking at six to 10 years down the road before we can put a shovel in the ground.

DeRito used information that he said came from researching the expansion of the Seattle Kraken to draw this conclusion. He added that he felt the timeline of the likely Houston expansion team being ahead of the Atlanta timeline reflected how long it could take as well.

Those who voted in favor of the development also showed approval of other aspects of the mixed-use development. A planned concert hall and the community ice center, which would also serve as an NHL practice facility, were what stood out during the discussions.

When asked, the developers confirmed that they have had consistent contact with the NHL. Part of the contact has included updates on the progress of this development.

What This Vote Means for Atlanta’s Chances to Bring Back the NHL

There are now two approved sites for an NHL arena in the Atlanta market: The North Port Mall site and The Gathering at South Forsyth. At this point, having a building in place is essentially no longer the issue.

Both prospective ownership groups, Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment, led by former NHL player and Atlanta resident Anson Carter, and Krause Sports Entertainment, have a place they can show the NHL in their push to prevail over the other.

The case for either group, location-wise, is there. Both developments are in two fast-growing parts of the metro market. Part of describing the case for either is going to be a bit different since a city is being compared to a county.

Alpharetta has nearly doubled in size in 2000 over the last 20 years, from around 35,000 to around 66,000. Over 100,000 people commute into the city each day for work. It’s also the closer of the two sites to Atlanta, which could help it pull from there as well. Being more central in the current Atlanta metro market and being one of the key business centers gives them an edge.

Meanwhile, the alternative has the edge of growing at a rapid rate – one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. Between 2000 and 2020, census data states that Forsyth County has grown from just over 98,000 people to more than 250,000. Estimates from 2025 indicated that the population is now around 280,000. Its proximity to other major Atlanta suburbs could make it a non-issue that it’s farther from Atlanta.

Like when the Atlanta Braves left Atlanta proper for the suburbs in 2017, to a development known as The Battery, the narrative is that the future is in the northern suburbs. Both play into this, and the NHL likely likes what it sees here if the conversations have gone on for this long.

Atlanta Expansion Hopes Far From Over (But Need Time)

Over the weekend, the NHL made it clear that expansion was happening. NHL deputy commissioner Billy Daly said to The Athletic that the league is on track to confirm a 33rd team in Texas by the end of this calendar year.

While Houston appears to be the favorite, Austin, a growing state capital, is still under consideration. The NHL would have two NHL teams in the state, likely by the 2029-30 season.

As it relates to Atlanta, Daly said that discussions were still ongoing for a 34th team, which included Atlanta and Phoenix. What helps is that the teams don’t have to come in together. The recent precedent with the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken showed that it’s OK.

“I think the commissioner’s always asked about, Well, that’s only one (expansion) team; what about the second team?”’ Daly said in an article published by The Athletic. “Certainly, if it happened that two could come in the same year, that might be more convenient, but I don’t think it’s a barrier if they don’t.” (“NHL’s Bill Daly says expansion team in Houston or Austin could play by 2029-30,” The Athletic, Aug. 22, 2026)

Based on what’s currently known, discussions related to Atlanta and Arizona aren’t as far along as the Texas expansion team. The impression remains that it’s about the expansion fee, which is set at $2 billion.

If ownership groups need time to pony up the money and get other ducks in a row, such as an arena, they don’t appear to be stuck with any deadline. This gives either Atlanta group a chance to get that figured out and force the NHL to decide on the one they simply think is better for success.

Two previous NHL teams have called the Atlanta area home. The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary after the 1979-80 season, and the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg following the 2010-11 season. As the old saying goes, (maybe) third time is the charm.