Potential Atlanta NHL Expansion Team Thread

[AintLifeGrand]

I believe one of the reasons why they're proposing it in south Forsyth is because there's very little there compared to the rest of metro Atlanta, while the area is also growing quickly. They can build up the area around it, build for future infrastructure improvements, etc.

But the problem with building closer to Atlanta is... where ya gonna put it? Will landowners sell their property in Doraville or Smyrna? If so, what about rezoning the land for a mixed-use development? As much as we might love to do it, we can't just open Cities Skylines, destroy what's on a parcel of land and drop an arena on it, so I don't think it's possible to put a mixed-use in any of those areas, much less just an arena. I'd like to think these developers investigated that possibility before choosing south Forsyth, but I don't have that answer.

You're not necessarily wrong about the area... but transplants are *everywhere* in metro Atlanta. Including me. But there is absolutely an identity for a potential franchose to adopt, NHL history for it to embrace (the former Atlanta/Calgary Flames living in the area were never embraced by Turner or Atlanta Spirit). There's plenty that an organization can do to adopt a local identity, even from 30 miles away.

South Forsyth isn't ideal, in my opinion, but it apparently fits the vision the developers have.

West Side/West Midtown probably rife for development...think Fulton County Airport Area ...North Fulton folks can take 285 to get there

 

[dj4aces]

West Side/West Midtown probably rife for development...think Fulton County Airport Area ...North Fulton folks can take 285 to get there

That would be fine, if it was some sort of general use facility with no real goal of attracting the NHL. But in the media, the league has strongly implied that should they return to the Atlanta market, they want to be where the fans are, and south Forsyth accomplishes that goal. Then, you have to look at the money factor, and where the majority of it in the market is.

So, sure, the folks in Alpharetta could "just take 285", but so can the folks in Douglasville, Stockbridge, or Covington. As was covered in my earlier post about the population distribution, there's far more people north of the city, and the one thing one should avoid doing is inconviencing the majority of your potential customers.

 

[Headshot77]

hard to embrace the identity of the region from Forysthe County

I will Still get season tickets, but the most OTP ideal location is Battery Area

I have no doubt Forysthe County/Alpharetta will succeed, but it will lack the authenticity and character an Atlanta NHL team deserves....There is no culture in that part of Atlanta. Its an amalgamation of track homes, transplants, and shopping centers.

Just like all of the United States basically.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

West Side/West Midtown probably rife for development...think Fulton County Airport Area ...North Fulton folks can take 285 to get there

Tickets aren't bought in that area. Need to bring the development to the customer base which is in the northern burbs. That's why, other than on-field success, the Braves attendance has gone up.

 

[tucker3434]

I believe one of the reasons why they're proposing it in south Forsyth is because there's very little there compared to the rest of metro Atlanta, while the area is also growing quickly. They can build up the area around it, build for future infrastructure improvements, etc.

But the problem with building closer to Atlanta is... where ya gonna put it? Will landowners sell their property in Doraville or Smyrna? If so, what about rezoning the land for a mixed-use development? As much as we might love to do it, we can't just open Cities Skylines, destroy what's on a parcel of land and drop an arena on it, so I don't think it's possible to put a mixed-use in any of those areas, much less just an arena. I'd like to think these developers investigated that possibility before choosing south Forsyth, but I don't have that answer.

You're not necessarily wrong about the area... but transplants are *everywhere* in metro Atlanta. Including me. But there is absolutely an identity for a potential franchose to adopt, NHL history for it to embrace (the former Atlanta/Calgary Flames living in the area were never embraced by Turner or Atlanta Spirit). There's plenty that an organization can do to adopt a local identity, even from 30 miles away.

South Forsyth isn't ideal, in my opinion, but it apparently fits the vision the developers have.

My main concern is that Forsyth voters may be less receptive to supporting a project like this than Cobb was. South Forsyth is currently the farthest north that you could expect to draw strong support. That leaves a lot of the county that could oppose. You read internet comments and many seem to want to live "out in the country" indefinitely. Considering the growth rate of Atlanta as a whole, that's not going to happen. But this would definitely accelerate it.

 

[dj4aces]

My main concern is that Forsyth voters may be less receptive to supporting a project like this than Cobb was. South Forsyth is currently the farthest north that you could expect to draw strong support. That leaves a lot of the county that could oppose. You read internet comments and many seem to want to live "out in the country" indefinitely. Considering the growth rate of Atlanta as a whole, that's not going to happen. But this would definitely accelerate it.

There's always that distinct possibility, that the voters of Forsyth come out against it, but there's one way to find out for sure. With as fast as Forsyth has grown (and continues to grow), I don't think anyone is moving there with hte expectation of living in the country. But hey, the voters could surprise me. The county was at 98k in population in the 2000 census, 175k in 2010, and at 251k now, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

But, if Forsyth decides against the project, where else could they put it?

 

[GreenHornet]

There's always that distinct possibility, that the voters of Forsyth come out against it, but there's one way to find out for sure. With as fast as Forsyth has grown (and continues to grow), I don't think anyone is moving there with hte expectation of living in the country. But hey, the voters could surprise me. The county was at 98k in population in the 2000 census, 175k in 2010, and at 251k now, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

But, if Forsyth decides against the project, where else could they put it?

There had been talk earlier about the North Point Mall site just down the road in Alpharetta.

 

[dj4aces]

There had been talk earlier about the North Point Mall site just down the road in Alpharetta.

Aye, but I was under the impression that Alpharetta wasn't letting anyone re-develop that land.

 

[GreenHornet]

Aye, but I was under the impression that Alpharetta wasn't letting anyone re-develop that land.

My understanding was that they rejected a couple of different redevelopment proposals, but hadn't shut the door against the idea of redevelopment completely.

That said, it seems to me that having The Gathering, which has an arena as its centerpiece, just six miles up the road would render the idea of a multi-purpose arena moot, UNLESS there are still things going on behind the scenes that we just don't know about. I doubt that's the case, since The Gathering seems to be way ahead in gaining a foothold, but you never know until the ink on all the contracts is dry, I guess.

 

[dj4aces]

My understanding was that they rejected a couple of different redevelopment proposals, but hadn't shut the door against the idea of redevelopment completely.

That said, it seems to me that having The Gathering, which has an arena as its centerpiece, just six miles up the road would render the idea of a multi-purpose arena moot, UNLESS there are still things going on behind the scenes that we just don't know about. I doubt that's the case, since The Gathering seems to be way ahead in gaining a foothold, but you never know until the ink on all the contracts are dry, I guess.

Aye, I too heard that. I just figured they had something else entirely in mind. Like you said, we really don't know anything at this point until the ink is dry.

 

[RoyalAir]

There's always that distinct possibility, that the voters of Forsyth come out against it, but there's one way to find out for sure. With as fast as Forsyth has grown (and continues to grow), I don't think anyone is moving there with hte expectation of living in the country. But hey, the voters could surprise me. The county was at 98k in population in the 2000 census, 175k in 2010, and at 251k now, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

But, if Forsyth decides against the project, where else could they put it?

Anecdote is anecdotal, but we moved from Gwinnett to Forsyth in the mid-90s for exactly that reason. We wanted to be out in the country.

We left in mid-10s because of what Forsyth became. If that's what you want now, then yes you know what you're getting. But a lot of people didn't want what happened to it.

I moved out-of-state 20 years ago, and have no desire to move back. I'm hopeful ATL gets a team purely for nostalgia, but I'm never going to be an STH or a flex-pack holder.

Also important to note that the voters in Cobb didn't want the Battery. It was pushed through by their council, and then that council was summarily replaced.

 

[Headshot77]

Also important to note that the voters in Cobb didn't want the Battery. It was pushed through by their council, and then that council was summarily replaced.

If only Tempe could have been so lucky.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Also important to note that the voters in Cobb didn't want the Battery. It was pushed through by their council, and then that council was summarily replaced.

Was it that voters didn't want the Battery, or voters were just pissed because they never even had a chance to look over the conditions in the first place?

Hard to tell without the vote. Either way, in hindsight, voters got a professional team and development that's printing money along with getting rid of a crooked Tim Lee.

 

[dj4aces]

Anecdote is anecdotal, but we moved from Gwinnett to Forsyth in the mid-90s for exactly that reason. We wanted to be out in the country.

We left in mid-10s because of what Forsyth became. If that's what you want now, then yes you know what you're getting. But a lot of people didn't want what happened to it.

I moved out-of-state 20 years ago, and have no desire to move back. I'm hopeful ATL gets a team purely for nostalgia, but I'm never going to be an STH or a flex-pack holder.

Also important to note that the voters in Cobb didn't want the Battery. It was pushed through by their council, and then that council was summarily replaced.

Certainly a fair point, but I would also point out that Forsyth in the 90s was different from what it is today, in a lot of ways. While Forsyth was growing in the 90s, I think most folks had an expectation of it remaining a more rural or exurban setting. I'm sure the folks who left Cobb, Fulton, or Douglas counties to move to Cherokee felt the same way as you, but that county is also growing swiftly.

If folks are moving to Forsyth today to "get away from the city", they're sorely mistaken. That was my point.

 

[TheLegend]

If only Tempe could have been so lucky.

Yep…. Now they face paying $120-150 million to clean up a landfill that would have been covered by TED.

They’re currently in the process of hiring a consultant to figure out how they’re going to do it.

 

[nhlfan79]

Fresh news! Per Kevin Weekes, The Gathering location in south Forsyth County is apparently full steam ahead and they're now lining up arena designers and contractors.

 

[dj4aces]

This is good news, if true.

 

[Look Up]

New arena would be located 31 miles, about 45 minutes, from former arena Thrashers played in.

Proposed location

 

[nhlfan79]

New arena would be located 31 miles, about 45 minutes, from former arena Thrashers played in.

Proposed location

Yes, this is well known, and it's intentional. The location already is an active construction site, plus contractors also have been rebuilding that highway exit just adjacent for a year now. Things are afoot.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

So does a hypothetical expansion Atlanta team use Thrashers (if the Jets don't own it) or a new name?

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

So does a hypothetical expansion Atlanta team use Thrashers (if the Jets don't own it) or a new name?

My guess would be a no. I'd think a new potential ownership would want their own identity. It's not like the Thrashers had any sort of good history either.

Still have no idea who the money is, but it's nice to see news on movement.

 

[BB79]

So does a hypothetical expansion Atlanta team use Thrashers (if the Jets don't own it) or a new name?

Their name should be the Atlanta Relocators in honor of the 2 franchises they previously lost

 

[AintLifeGrand]

My guess would be a no. I'd think a new potential ownership would want their own identity. It's not like the Thrashers had any sort of good history either.

Still have no idea who the money is, but it's nice to see news on movement.

it would have to be Thrashers- I don’t see any other viable alternatives;

- Cant use Knights

- Gladiators have no recognition / gravitas outside of Gwinnett County

- Can’t use any other cool endemic bird to GA : Hawks, Falcons already taken

- Can’t use Jets (for obvious reasons) as an homage to Hartsfield

- I guess we could do something related to Willy B, but the Silverbacks already exist and not really relatable to people born in the 2000s

- Maybe could go with “Olympics” or “Centenniels” but it would be stolen valor to have a team playing 30 miles from the site of the former olympic stadium





Thrashers are the best name and identity available.

The colors, uniforms and brand identity (off ice) still hit the nostalgia heart strings for native Atlantans- especially millenials who will need to comprise a sizable % of the season ticket base

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Their name should be the Atlanta Relocators in honor of the 2 franchises they previously lost

If it means getting a new franchise to Atlanta, sure thing... as long as Quebec doesn't steal the same name first

As for your originality...

 

[nhlfan79]

it would have to be Thrashers- I don’t see any other viable alternatives;

Thrashers are the best name and identity available.

The colors, uniforms and brand identity (off ice) still hit the nostalgia heart strings for native Atlantans- especially millenials who will need to comprise a sizable % of the season ticket base

Put me solidly in the "start fresh" camp. The Thrashers identity/brand is toxic on every imaginable level for all of the well-documented reasons.

That said, I'd totally be down with incorporating the Thrashers powder blue color into a new team's identity, as an intentionally subtle nod to the city's hockey history. In fact, I'd add an element of red, too, for the Flames (or tell non-hockey fans its for UGA). Light blue, red, black, and white would be a compelling color palate that can be worked into something unique in the league.