Forsyte County politicians have public money available for an arena-village project in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The arena game has started in Alpharetta, Georgia that could ultimately lead to the Atlanta metropolitan area getting another National Hockey League franchise. Alpharetta is about 26 miles north of Atlanta. Forsyth County politicians could offer a $390 million subsidy for an arena that would be the centerpiece of an arena-village if the National Hockey League either expands or relocates a franchise to the area. The NHL is not expanding anytime soon but you never say never to someone who is ready to pluck down somewhere between one and two billion dollars that could be split up by the 32 owners to join the fraternity. If the NHL expands and charges just a billion dollars to establish a new business, each owner would get $31,275,000 and if its two billion dollars that would be $62,550,000 for each other for doing nothing than adding another team to the business and it is not shared with the players.
The Alpharetta arena-village would be the typical arena-village set up with housing, office and retail space surrounding the arena. The potential team owner would be Krause Sports and Entertainment. The company CEO Vernon Krause said, “We are committed to creating a gathering place that will cater to diverse interests and provide an unparalleled world-class experience for all. The prospect of bringing the National Hockey League back to Georgia adds another layer of excitement to this venture, and we are eager to pursue that potential.” Members of Krause’s group are checking out NHL arenas to get an idea as to what is needed for a potential Alpharetta building. The NHL has failed twice in Atlanta. The first team played in the city between 1972 and 1980 and was losing money. The team was sold to Calgary interests and moved to Alberta. The second team was badly managed between 1999 and 2011 and was sold to Winnipeg interests and moved to Manitoba.
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