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Atlanta United FC: Marietta, New Headquarters for Club

By John Buhler

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Atlanta United FC announced yesterday evening that they will relocate their headquarters to the Franklin Road corridor in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia.

With the soccer club set for its first match in Spring 2017, Atlanta United FC sought for a suitable location for their headquarters/training complex/youth academy after their deal in place with proposed Memorial Drive location in DeKalb County fell through. Atlanta United FC is going to have their new headquarters in Marietta, GA in Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta on I-75.

The new location of United’s headquarters will go in the Franklin Road corridor, an area the City of Marietta has longed for revitalization. The City of Marietta has entered into what is known as “a binding memorandum of understanding to build a state-of-the-art headquarters and training complex in the Franklin Road corridor in Marietta.”

Construction will begin immediately, as the City of Marietta had already procured the necessary acreage in the Franklin Road corridor should the opportunity present itself when a prospective developer would come along. It’s nearly impossible to not get excited about the thought of Atlanta United FC being headquartered in my hometown of Marietta, GA!

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The Mayor of Marietta Steve Tumlin spoke fondly about the city’s efforts to put themselves in the position to become the Home of Atlanta United FC. “On behalf of the City Council and myself, we would like to thank the citizens of this great City who gave us the ability to purchase dilapidating properties along Franklin Road and market that greenspace for economic development projects. It is because of the trust of the citizens instilled in the City that we are now able to call ourselves ‘Home to Atlanta United!'”

While Atlanta United FC Owner Arthur Blank may have wanted to originally have the team’s headquarters on Memorial drive for sentimental reasons, as the first Home Depot is there, the costs to put the headquarters/academy were considerably more than what DeKalb County had led on.

Blank will still have his wish to improve a rough part of town by relocating Atlanta United FC’s headquarters to Franklin Road, an area notorious for its impoverishment in Marietta. Though this may have been the second choice for Blank, the Franklin Road corridor still allows easy access to a major interstate (I-75) and plenty of green space to build a top flight academy.

Team President Darren Eales expressed his excitement for Atlanta United FC’s new home.

The 32-acre site will have six soccer fields as well as being the home of Atlanta United FC. United will invest $50 Million dollars into the project and should have over 80 high paying jobs by the time of the first club match in Spring of 2017.

United is also planning on joining up with the Parks and Recreation Department of Marietta to build a new public park next to the club’s headquarters, filled with multi-use fields and walking trails along Rottenwood Creek. The Parks Department will own and operate those facilities.

Though the opportunity came to a close in DeKalb, a new one opens in Cobb. Regardless of the academy and team headquarters’ location, it will become a top flight one in the MLS by the time Atlanta United FC takes to the pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Spring of 2017.

Next: Atlanta United FC: Which Team Could Become Our Rival?

It may seem like along way away, but it’s only roughly 16 months before United is more than just an idea, but a team that this city and this region can feel proud of. With a new academy location confirmed and a state-of-the-art stadium being constructed in downtown Atlanta, the next logical step in this team’s construction is to find the head coach to lead the organization. Go United!

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