Forsyth County commissioners have approved a memorandum of understanding with the developer of a proposed sports arena and entertainment hub in the south end of the county.
Commissioners approved the memorandum in a special called meeting Tuesday night. Russell Brown, director of communications for Forsyth County, said the memorandum lays out several terms that will need to be met for The Gathering at South Forsyth to move forward.
"A big part of the MOU, and a big sticking point for the county, is that for the development to continue down the road and for the county to invest the dollars that the MOU calls for, an NHL franchise would need to be approved for this project," Brown said. "It's a big deal because now it allows for the development team to take this MOU back to the NHL where the NHL can possibly make a determination."
The Gathering at South Forsyth would be a hub centered around an 18,000-seat sports arena along with surrounding commercial, retail and residential space. It would be located just off of Ga. 400 at the intersection of Ronald Reagan Boulevard and Union Hill Road.
Brown said the current agreement between Forsyth County and Krause Sports and Entertainment would call for the county to contribute $225 million. Brown said the county would look to recoup that funding through tax dollars generated by the development.
"That amount would be contributed by the county via a bond, which would then be hopefully paid back by a tax allocation district, which would be strictly within the development footprint," Brown said. "So, as it stands right now, this would not mean any increases for taxpayers here in Forsyth County."
Brown said the timeline for the project's development is unclear, as the NHL has not released any official plans for expansion. He said the next steps will be to have the property zoned for the development.
Brown added that Forsyth County's government plans to be active in trying to convince the NHL to bring a franchise to South Forsyth.
"Should this occur, an NHL team coming is a game-changer for making Forsyth County really a player and putting it on the map, not only in Georgia but regionally in the southeast," Brown said. "We'd love to see an NHL team come, so long as it still means the vision aligns with Forsyth County and its growth for the future."
To hear more from Forsyth County Government's Director of Communications Russell Brown on The Gathering at South Forsyth, click play on the audio above.
