ASSEMBLY ATLANTA’S COMMUNITY-CENTRIC EVOLUTION.
When Assembly Atlanta broke ground in Doraville in 2021, it marked the next chapter for a 135- acre section of a former General Motors factory site and continued to position Georgia as a competitor in global television and film infrastructure. What began as a bold conversion project has since blossomed into a thriving hub of creativity. The next phase of its development promises a transformation good for the industry it serves and for the Atlanta community.
Backed by Gray Media Inc. and development partners, the Assembly vision initially came to life in 2023 with 19 soundstages fully supported by modern production services. “We are filling a need for a studio lot like you would find in Los Angeles, with every amenity a production needs in one place,” Senior Vice President of Assembly Atlanta and Gray Media Rick Burns, a Brookhaven resident, said during a conversation in 2023 when Simply Buckhead reported on Assembly’s phase one development.
Since then, and with NBCUniversal as an anchor tenant and facility manager, Assembly has become home to a growing list of productions with A-list stars, including Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, Glen Powell, Eva Longoria and Samuel L. Jackson. The hit CBS soap-opera drama “Beyond the Gates” recently returned to film its second season there. Other notable productions have included projects for Hulu, Apple TV+, NBC and Peacock, such as “Murdaugh: Death In the Family,” “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” “Cape Fear” and “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.” Of the latter, Burns says, “They built the garden in the show just outside our gates. It was beautiful to drive into Assembly and see it.”
Assembly’s productions have created job opportunities for local crews and contractors who make up around 80% of the workforce on a set, Burns says. Additionally, the Georgia Film Academy, a nonprofit, film-focused workforce development program backed by the University and Technical College systems of Georgia, has moved its school within Assembly’s walls. When productions hire students, they qualify for state tax deductions towards a 10% uplift on top of a 20% tax credit.
But TV and film aren’t all Assembly is about. Recognizing the possibilities beyond soundstages, Assembly has hosted weddings, cocktail parties, political fundraisers and brand events for Lamborghini, McLaren and The Home Depot. In 2023, the team opened The Jewel Box, an event space overlooking the property. With a capacity for around 150 guests, the area evokes a hotel lobby vibe rich in jewel tones and features art inspired by Georgia and global travels. Atlanta artist Clint Bearden created the “golden curtain” feature that surrounds its bar. City of Doraville events have also been hosted in the 5-acre public park just outside Assembly’s gates. The park features landscaped picnic lawns and fountains created by the designers of Las Vegas’s famed Bellagio Hotel & Casino water feature, with LED light shows in both.
Under construction now is what Burns calls “The Pringle,” a clamshell amphitheater and stage similar in size to the Fox Theatre’s. Slated to debut in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place downtown over a month, the stage will showcase concerts, movie and sports broadcasts to park guests.
Assembly’s long-range vision also includes retail, restaurants and a hotel, all embedded within a creative-first framework that allows filming to happen anywhere on the property. The aim, Burns says, is to build a “creative playground” where locals and visitors can shop, stay, hang out, dine and be inspired while honoring Atlanta’s unique flavors including elements of street art and music.
The proposed hotel, unnamed but slated for a 2028 opening, is a 200-room Hotel Bel-Air-inspired structure where art meets design. It will be attached to an exhibit hall with custom-designed Dale Chihuly artworks including a chandelier boasting all the hues of the color wheel. The Assembly team is also working on an entertainment-centric complex, with partners including IMAX Corporation, on the 285 side of the site that will be paired with a high-end shopping experience.
“We want people to visit Assembly when they visit Atlanta like a true destination spot in the city. Our whole theme is ‘write your own story,’” Burns says.
ASSEMBLY ATLANTA
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