ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — In a public meeting that ran into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the Alpharetta City Council approved the redevelopment of North Point Mall. The transformative project would include an entertainment district, with the centerpiece being a 20,000-seat arena designed to host a National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. The council amended its procedural rules to allow unlimited public comment before voting 4-3 in favor of the proposal, which would encompass up to 100 acres. Jamestown, the developer behind Ponce City Market, is spearheading the project alongside New York Life and The Machete Group. Alpharetta city council member John Hipes says the opportunity was too great to pass up. “We didn’t get here where we are as the best city in Georgia because we were afraid,” Hipes said before the vote. “We have seized on opportunities that came to us. Like Avalon came to us. It was an opportunity we seized on it. And we didn’t let that opportunity get away. This is an opportunity,” Hipes said. A major part of the deal hinges on the NHL making a commitment to bring a team to Alpharetta by August 2031. The NHL has made no official commitment to bringing a team back to metro Atlanta. The Atlanta Thrashers played in downtown Atlanta from 1999 to 2011 before moving to Winnipeg. Before that, the Atlanta Flames played in the Omni Coliseum from 1972 to 1980. The team relocated to Calgary. Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.
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