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Roswell has confirmed the location for the downtown district’s long-awaited parking deck.

Parking has been a growing problem for the Canton Street dining and entertainment area. Local business owners have worried that visitors become weary of searching for available parking and decide to drive to such places as downtown Alpharetta where there is a free deck.

During a regular City Council meeting on Monday, officials approved a plan for a triangular site at Alpharetta and Green Streets. The stretch of land is located across the street from the Southern Post mixed-use development that is currently under construction.

The project will be funded through a $20 million bond referendum that was specifically for a parking deck and approved by voters in 2022.

Ryan Pernice, owner of two restaurants on nearby Canton Street, praised the mayor and council members for moving forward with the project. It helps Roswell compete, he said.

“Thank you,” Pernice said. “I can tell you this is sorely needed ...The business community has been clamoring for a solution for what I see as the parking problem in downtown Roswell since I opened Table and Main in 2011.”

Roswell consultants and staff already have road enhancements planned for the surrounding area of Green Street, without public input. There will be easy access in and out of the parking deck, according to the city.

Green Street is a two-way road that resembles an alley. Plans are to convert the street to one-way southbound for vehicular traffic with a 10-foot-wide sidewalk for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as lighting.

“The Green Street plan was not brought to the public for review because it is directly related to the parking deck project,” Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson said.

Roswell also plans to convert Plum Tree Street, which runs between Canton and Green streets, into a brick-paved multi-use trail.

Jacobs Engineering helped Roswell officials narrow down the parking deck location, Wilson said. Roswell will now look for a firm to design and build the deck, which is expected to take 30 months.

The city would not say how many parking spaces are intended for the deck; if there will be underground and surface parking, or if the deck will be free to the public.

In February, Roswell City Council approved the purchase of two properties at the proposed location — 1065 Green Street and 1058 Alpharetta Street — for $2 million, but did not inform the public that the purchases were for the parking deck project.

The city is planning at least one more lot purchase for the project but would not comment on the pending real estate matter.

Jenna Aronowitz, owner of 1920 Tavern on Canton Street, is not as pleased about the parking deck location as Pernice. Aronowitz worries that the location is too far for businesses located on the southern part of Canton Street, she said.

“I’m happy that there is a parking solution at play, but I can’t say that I am happy about the location,” she said. “Most businesses located north (of 1920 Tavern) have their own parking lots.”

“It’s just too far, It’s still a 10-minute walk (to Canton).”

Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment, a group seeking to build an arena and mixed-use development at the North Point Mall site in Alpharetta, Ga., formally requested that the NHL initiate an expansion process aimed at bringing a franchise back to the greater Atlanta area, adding a second party that wants to bring the league back to Georgia.

Former NHLer Anson Carter (who is co-owner of the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators) is the public face of the group, which has backing from Texas Rangers President/Business Operations and COO Neil Leibman (who is also co-managing partner of Top Tier Sports), Simon Sports President Peter Simon and Zeigler Automotive Group President and CEO Aaron Zeigler. New York Life Real Estate investors is also a partner. Carter said in a statement that he has been in contact with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman since 2019 about bringing a team to the site in Fulton County. The NHL did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal, but in a statement, it said that “the league appreciates Anson's passion for bringing NHL hockey back to the Atlanta area, and he has certainly kept the subject on our radar screen for several years running," noting that, “as we have made clear, we have no expansion-oriented process in place currently.”

The North Point proposal is one of two separate efforts to build an arena and lure an NHL team to the suburbs north of Atlanta. The other, called The Gathering at South Forsyth, is seven miles north in neighboring Forsyth County. That project is led by Krause Auto Group President and CEO Vernon Krause, who has also met with Bettman about a potential expansion team. A representative for The Gathering declined to comment on the North Point group’s formal expansion request competing with its project.

Announced last year, the $2 billion Gathering project is better fleshed out and further along in the development process than the North Point proposal, of which details are scarce. Forsyth County commissioners are set to hold a public hearing on March 26 to consider a memorandum of understanding that would permit Gathering developers to include residential units in the mixed-use project. All land use entitlements, however, are contingent on the NHL awarding an expansion franchise.

Both groups believe an NHL team located in the city’s northern suburbs has a better chance of succeeding than the two prior franchises that called downtown Atlanta home. The most recent iteration, the Thrashers, relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.

Earlier this year, Jazz and Real Salt Lake owner Ryan Smith formally expressed interest in bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City. Other locales discussed as potential NHL expansion destinations include Houston and Quebec City. In addition, a San Diego radio host reported yesterday that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment hopes to bring an NHL team to its proposed new arena development there.

Vernon Krause has some competition.

A second proposal has emerged to try to lure a National Hockey League team to metro Atlanta's northern suburbs. Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment has formally requested the NHL initiate an expansion aimed at bringing a franchise back to Georgia.

The new group, which has ties to minor league hockey and Major League Baseball, is seeking to build a hockey arena and mixed-use development at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. It will compete against Krause, a local businessman known for auto dealerships, who over the past year has touted his own proposal for an arena that can land an NHL franchise.

Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment has met several times with City of Alpharetta staff, but has not submitted a formal plan, said Kathi Cook, director of community development.

Former professional hockey player Anson Carter (who is co-owner of the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators) is the public face of the group, which has backing from Texas Rangers President of Business Operations and COO Neil Leibman (who is also co-managing partner of Top Tier Sports), Simon Sports President Peter Simon and Zeigler Automotive Group President and CEO Aaron Zeigler. New York Life Real Estate Investors is also a partner.

Carter said in a statement that he has been in contact with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman since 2019 about bringing a team to the site in Fulton County. The NHL did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal, but in a statement, it said that “the league appreciates Anson's passion for bringing NHL hockey back to the Atlanta area, and he has certainly kept the subject on our radar screen for several years running," noting that, “as we have made clear, we have no expansion-oriented process in place currently.”

The North Point proposal is one of two separate efforts to build an arena and lure an NHL team to the suburbs north of Atlanta. The other, called The Gathering at South Forsyth, is seven miles north in neighboring Forsyth County. That project is led by Krause, the president and CEO of Krause Auto Group, who has also met with Bettman about a potential expansion team.

A representative for The Gathering declined to comment on the North Point group’s formal expansion request competing with its project.

Announced last year, the $2 billion Gathering project is further along in the development process than the North Point proposal, of which details are scarce. In early February, Forsyth County officials said they will consider whether to give a developer $390 million in taxpayer-supported subsidies to help him fund a 100-acre development with an 18,700-seat arena. But the catch is the developer would have to land an NHL franchise to play there. A public meeting on the project is set for March 19 at Lanier Technical College.

On Wednesday, the Gathering team said it has selected Los Angeles-based ASM Global as the operator for the arena. The firm's portfolio includes operating the Crypto.com Arena in California and T-Mobile Arena in Nevada, home of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights, respectively.

Both groups believe an NHL team located in the city’s northern suburbs has a better chance of succeeding than the two prior franchises that called downtown Atlanta home. The most recent iteration, the Thrashers, relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.

Earlier this year, Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake owner Ryan Smith formally expressed interest in bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City. Other locales discussed as potential NHL expansion destinations include Houston and Quebec City. In addition, a San Diego radio host reported recently that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment hopes to bring an NHL team to its proposed new arena development there.

— Sports Business Journal's Alex Silverman contributed to this report

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The group, led by ex-NHL player and businessman Anson Carter, represents a second effort to bring an NHL hockey team back to metro Atlanta.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — An operating group has stepped forward with hopes of bringing an NHL team to metro Atlanta, a release issued Tuesday by the group said, in what marks a second organized effort to reestablish pro hockey in the region.

Alpharetta Mayor Jim Gilvin confirmed the news to 11Alive and sent a release issued by Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group. The group is being led by former NHL player and businessman Anson Carter and they said they had made a formal request with the league to "commence an expansion process aimed at bringing an NHL franchise back to Atlanta."

RELATED: Alpharetta mayor responds to chatter about whether NHL team could return to metro Atlanta

The release did not include specific details about financing but said the group has "received considerable support from county and local leadership" and named insurance company New York Life as a partner in pursuing an arena-centered redevelopment of the North Point Mall site. The release further named Alpharetta Sports Group & Entertainment partners, including Neil Leibman of Top Tier Sports, Peter Simon of Simon Sports and Aaron Zeigler of Zeigler Automotive Group.

If you’ve been following my hockey coverage for the last YEAR this is what I put out last March. Today, a brand new ownership group and location (Alpharetta) has officially put in a bid for #NHL expansion.This is completely separate from The Gathering and their ownership. pic.twitter.com/SXAgkZ1FA4

— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) March 12, 2024

The arena, according to the group, would be designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

The Alpharetta effort is not to be confused with the one eyeing an NHL team and development deal called "The Gathering" in Forsyth County.

Carter said in a statement with the release that he has "been in dialogue with (NHL) Commissioner (Gary) Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors."

11Alive's Maria Martin reported last year about the Alpharetta possibility, with Mayor Jim Gilvin saying, "We think it makes sense here."

"The City of Alpharetta is excited for the possibility to be home to NHL hockey, one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports experiences in the world," Mayor Gilvin said in a statement with Tuesday's release.

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts also had a statement in the release, stating he was "thrilled to support former NHL star Anson Carter's bid to bring a National Hockey League team to Fulton County." You can find the full statements of Mayor Gilvin, Chairman Pitts and Carter at the bottom of this story.

The mayor said they had worked over the last year closely with Carter "and have been impressed with his vision and passion for growing hockey."

The Alpharetta rumors were sparked just a little more than a year ago when ESPN's John Buccigross posted on X about the NHL coming back to Atlanta.

According to Tuesday's release by Alpharetta Sports & Entertainment Group, the North Point Mall redevelopment plans would include "practice and community facilities, alongside a professional-level outdoor stadium for soccer and/or lacrosse" as well as "hotels, a performing venue, an esports facility, and various residential, retail, dining, conference and community spaces."

The group's release additionally promised a "commitment to cultivating a sustainable hockey ecosystem in Georgia" to support youth hockey, collegiate programs and initiatives around inclusivity and accessibility.

"I've lived in Atlanta since 20009, and I have no doubt that the best league in the world will thrive in its return to Metro Atlanta. The ASE Group is a hockey-first ownership team, which will include partners Neil Leibman (Top Tier Sports), Peter Simon (Simon Sports), and Aaron Zeigler (Zeigler Automotive Group), all of whom have a tremendous passion for our sport. I have been in dialogue with Commissioner Bettman since 2019 about an expansion team returning to Fulton County Metro Atlanta market, knowing that NHL franchise decisions are exclusively decided by the NHL Board of Governors. The ASE Group is also delighted to partner with New York Life, a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest life insurers in the world, in the potential mixed-use development at the North Point location in Alpharetta."

"The City of Alpharetta is excited for the possibility to be home to NHL hockey, one of the fastest growing and most exciting sports experiences in the world. Our city is at the geographic center of the fan base in Metro Atlanta. Easy access provided by Georgia Highway 400 and planned expansion of MARTA public transit in Alpharetta, guarantees hockey fans an easy commute and a world class experience. Over the last year we have worked closely with former NHL star player Anson Carter and have been impressed with his vision and passion for growing hockey."

"I am thrilled to support former NHL star Anson Carter's bid to bring a National Hockey League team to Fulton County. The location of an NHL franchise, as currently proposed in Alpharetta, would bring an exhilarating sport to our community's thriving professional sports lineup. I have no doubt the citizens of Fulton County and the Metro Atlanta region will be strongly supportive of professional hockey's return to our region. We are a sports town who has hosted the Super Bowl, NCAA National Championships, and the forthcoming 2026 World Cup. I believe an NHL team will contribute to the already-strong cultural vibrancy of our community, create opportunities for local businesses and further enhance Metro Atlanta's reputation as one of the preeminent sports regions in the country. We look forward to embracing the team and fostering a strong partnership that will enrich the fabric of our area for years to come."

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Friday, March 8 is the last day to vote early in the March 12 Presidential Preference Primary Election. Fulton County has 36 early polling sites, 7 of which also include absentee ballot drop boxes.

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the following locations:

(Please note the asterisk * represents Absentee Ballot Drop Box Location)

For more information, visit our website www.fultonelections.com or download the free Fulton Votes mobile app for Android or Apple devices.