Atlanta movie mogul Tyler Perry continues to expand his local empire in Georgia. This time, the Why Did I Get Married? star has bought more land parcels adjacent to his movie studio in southwest Atlanta.
The acreage, a short drive from East Point and College Park, Georgia, has a lot in store for the public.
What Is Tyler Perry Planning For Southwest Atlanta?
Perry’s recent $8.4 million purchase of 37 additional acres next to his namesake studios come with some bodacious plans, according to news reports.
Perry plans to use the land parcels to transform the area into an entertainment, retail, and restaurant district that would include shops, a movie theater and more.
The businesses would be a welcome addition to rejuvenate what has been a long-forgotten area when it comes to amenities and basic food stores.
How Did Perry Get The Fort McPherson Property?
In 2014, Perry was wrestling with the idea of building a new movie studio and moving it to Douglas County, but then Mayor Kasim Reed was adamant that he stay in the city.
The two worked out a deal in which Perry would buy 330 acres at Fort McPherson for $30 million, which was characterized as a super-bargain at the time.
After securing two-third of the old Army base and redeveloping it, Perry threw a lavish grand opening for Tyler Perry Studios in October 2019, introducing movie stars and the public to the studio’s 12 sound stages.
Also tucked away in the deal was an option to buy the 37 additional acres at the base, which Perry was given a “right of first refusal.”
In June 2021, megachurch leader Bishop T.D. Jakes’ T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures struck a deal to purchase 94 acres at Fort Mac as well. Separately, Perry also was approved to buy the additional 37 acres on the site.
‘I’m looking forward to collaborating with my friend T.D. Jakes on his separate but adjacent project,’ Perry said in a news release at the time. “Today is a good day. I’m grateful for the opportunity this gives Tyler Perry Studios to extend our footprint in Atlanta and create more opportunities for the people of Southwest Atlanta with restaurants, entertainment venues, and other business opportunities.”
What Will Be Built At Fort McPherson?
According to a masterplan proposed by the T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures group, the Fort Mac site will include the following sections:
- Historic cultural district
- Historic business district
- Tyler Perry Studios entertainment district
- Entertainment district extension
- Residential village and more
Jakes was enthusiastic about the deal as well, saying, “My cultural fluency results from having grown up in a community like the Atlanta communities surrounding Fort McPherson. In my travels across all of America, I see too many Black and Brown working-class people still falling victim to the continued gentrification of our neighborhoods. I’m extremely excited about the accessible ownership options that will exist for future residents of this multigenerational community. This project will bring solutions to the quality-of-life problems and elevate the lives of the Atlantans that will live, work and play there.”
Final Word
Perry, who joined his friend Oprah Winfrey in achieving billionaire status in recent years, continues to build upon his movie and TV success with lucrative deals with Amazon Studios and Netflix.
He’s also in the middle of completing his mansion in the Atlanta suburbs. The property, which is located in Douglas County, Georgia encompasses more than 800 acres, making it one of the largest pieces of in-tact land available in all of metro Atlanta.