Atlanta group eying NHL expansion has $3 billion arena construction approved

The NHL returning to the city of Atlanta got one step closer to reality on Wednesday.

Forsyth County, a suburban area to the northeast of downtown Atlanta, voted to approve the concept of a $3 billion mixed-use entertainment complex that would include an NHL arena.

The complex, which would be called The Gathering, along with what is now the most realistic bid to bring the NHL back to Georga, are spearheaded by Vernon Krause and the Krause Group.

According to ESPN insider Kevin Weekes, Krause has plans to sit down with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss next steps.

This procedural step was seen as one of the major remaining hurdles on Forsyth County and Krause’s side, and with a legitimate plan for a venue and strong financial backing, the greater Atlanta metro promises to sit atop the NHL’s list if and when the league decides to expand once again.

Following the 2010-2011 season, the Atlanta Thrashers left town and became the Winnipeg Jets following a number of issues with the Atlanta Spirit ownership group.

The first iteration of NHL hockey in Atlanta was the Atlanta Flames, who played in the Peach State from 1972 until 1980, when the franchise moved to Calgary.

Support for a return to Atlanta has been building for the past few years. In 2024, former NHL player and current analyst and Atlanta resident Anson Carter partnered with the Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment group, which is still pursuing its own separate bid for a franchise.

While they were active, the Thrashers played downtown at what was then Philips Arena, which they shared with the Atlanta Hawks.

Efforts this time have focused around the suburban areas of the greater Atlanta area, a move that has already been made by a local sports institution.

In 2017, the MLB’s Atlanta Braves moved out of Turner Field in the heart of the city in favor of Truist Park, which is situated in suburban Cobb County.

The move created controversy, but the Braves have been lauded throughout the sports world for pioneering mixed-use entertainment districts with what The Battery has offered fans and visitors in the years since.