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Marietta approves Franklin Gateway rezoning and sale for women’s professional soccer training facility
Summary
The council approved rezoning for a 34-acre Franklin Gateway site and later authorized a purchase-and-sale agreement to sell approximately 33 acres to an Atlanta women’s professional soccer club affiliate (AWPFC) for $10 million with staged payments and a pledged $60 million investment; the council also secured approximately 10 acres for future community uses and attached conditions on sidewalks and streetscape coordination.
The Marietta City Council on April 15 approved two linked actions to advance a proposed headquarters and training complex for a professional women’s soccer organization on Franklin Gateway.
First, the council approved a rezoning to allow a 38,000-square-foot training and headquarters facility and ancillary fields on a 34.15-acre site (Z2026-06) after the applicant agreed to remove a requested sidewalk-width variance and to work with the city on future streetscape improvements. Company representatives described two main buildings, dedicated parking, and ancillary fields and estimated combined capital investment for nearby facilities could exceed $150 million when paired with other local development.
Second, the council approved a purchase-and-sale agreement to transfer approximately 33 acres to the team's operating entity for a $10,000,000 purchase price structured as $1,000,000 at closing, $1,000,000 per year for five years, plus $4,000,000 paid in equal installments over the subsequent 10 years, and an additional $1,000,000 contribution in year one for community uses. Under the PSA the buyer pledged to invest at least $60,000,000 in the property within three years of closing; the city would retain about 1.25 acres for a municipal parking parcel and roughly 10 acres for community uses to be determined through a council-driven process.
The PSA also contemplates seeking a tax-abatement schedule through the county (the draft abatement schedule in the PSA steps down from a 100% abatement in year one), and the buyer reserves rights connected to abatement approval. Council members asked about abatement procedures and potential city exposure for pre-closing costs; applicant representatives said they planned to proceed at risk if necessary to meet construction timelines. The motion to approve the PSA and to authorize city staff to finalize definitive documents passed on a voice vote.
Quotes and context: "We guarantee you $60,000,000," Rich McKay of AandB Sports Entertainment said in describing the commitment to develop the site; Council members praised the community-use parcel and urged staff to design a public-engagement process for the 10-acre site.
Why it matters: The transaction pairs land sale and private investment with a community-benefit parcel, and the council’s approvals set the path for site development, parking arrangements, and negotiations over tax abatement with county authorities. Council members said they expect the project to increase local investment and activity at Franklin Gateway when construction begins.
