By: Chris Mutter, HGOR Principal

Just 28 hours to run illegal Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta, and they said it couldn't be done! This was the theme of one of the most well-known movies from the 70s starring Burt Reynolds - "the Bandit," of the highest-grossing film in 1977 - the iconic Smokey and the Bandit, filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia, where the vast landscapes created the ideal backdrop for the fast-paced journey throughout the southern states.

Reimagining landscapes suitable for filming and producing major motion pictures and TV was previously associated with Hollywood, California. Eventually, it made its way to the quaint coastal region of the Carolinas because of scenic versatility and the need for lower production costs. Moving inward from the shore to the Peach State, the notion that a Tinsletown-like hub 'couldn't be done' in land-locked Georgia was purposely left on the cutting room floor. However, filming movies is not entirely new to the south. Filmmakers have traveled here for years capturing scenic lush green landscapes adorned with oak trees, the bright lights of the big cities, small towns with Main Streets, and mountainous terrain needed for films like The Hunger Games, Driving Miss Daisy, The Blind Side, and Smokey and the Bandit. Subsequently, the Georgia film industry has grown substantially over the past decade to position the state as the worldwide leader in film production.  

Enter stage right - Assembly Studios in Doraville, GA - steps outside the heart of the City of Atlanta. Selected as the master planner and landscape architect for creating the vision of the Atlanta movie mecca, HGOR is designing an all-new type of landscape and paving the way in an entirely new sector - cutting-edge film and tv studio environments. The nearly 30-year-old landscape architecture and planning firm is providing design and creative direction for the game-changing destination that will provide tremendous economic growth and vitality for Georgia, shaping the way for what will soon be The Assembly Atlanta and Assembly Studios. 

Assembly Atlanta is an immersive 135-acre mixed-use development that, this time next year, will be opening Assembly Studios, the home for film and the production of box office hits and popular shows that will span the gamut of premium channels and big screens! With Gray Television's recent purchase of Third Rail Studios, which currently exists on the site, the purpose-built film campus is already underway with the delivery of major movies, tv, and commercial productions.

What can the City of Atlanta and surrounding communities expect from this ground-breaking development? Gray TV CEO Hilton Howell, The Gipson Company owner and Assembly Atlanta developer Jay Gipson, and HGOR Principal Chris Mutter believe the project will deliver dramatic results for Atlanta. Results being - one, greatly desired economic growth, and two, an increased level of excitement supplied by a development that the southeast region has not yet experienced up close. Upon completion of Phase I, scheduled for June of 2023 with productions to start in September 2023, Assembly Studios will provide 4,000 new jobs and opportunities for individuals to enter into production, set design, acting, and numerous other positions that the industry requires.  

 Phase I of Assembly Studios will deliver a state-of-the-art purpose-built film campus that includes:

• 53- acre controlled film campus

• 19 individual film stages - 14 of which with 53' minimum height clearance to accommodate the largest film productions

• Flexible individual stages ranging from 15,000 to 36,000 square feet, including a stage programmed for a live studio audience

• Over 1,000,000 total square feet of film stage, production office, mill space, warehouse building, private production bungalows, administrative office and dining space, production base camp, and back lots

• Four uniquely themed production office buildings - offering architectural styles representative of authentic New York Brownstones, dazzling New Orleans French Quarter, classical European style, and New York's meat packing district architecture, all facing and integrated within the public sidewalk and streets within the Assembly development - providing a truly unique opportunity for filming

• 2-acre amenitized stormwater park, inside the walls of Assembly Studios, will provide the stormwater basin for the 53-acre campus, outdoor amenity space for the 4,000 Assembly Studios’ employees, flexible event space for large groups and intimate moments alike, and a unique filmable environment in the over 1-acre wet pond

In addition to the delivery of Assembly Studios, the mega-development will deliver a ‘live-stay and play’ destination for Atlanta and its visitors, with over 1.5 million square feet of space including:

• Phase II of the Assembly with approximately 800 multifamily units, 120 condo/ townhome units, 250,000 SF of food and beverage and retail space, 1,000,000 SF of office space, and 350 hotel rooms in separate boutique and full-service hotels

• Over two miles of curated streetscapes that will frame the walkable environment with wide comfortable sidewalks and a variety of dense landscapes that enhance the character of the space

• 4-acre public park with stormwater amenities, referred to as the Commons, will have the ability to receive detention capacity for over 50 acres of storm basin and provide outdoor amenity space for thousands. Framed with Georgia granite stone walls and majestic Bald Cypress, an elevated boardwalk with a dynamic water feature will adorn the Commons. A nearly 2-acres of central lawn space with a stage for outdoor events - all of which will be open to the public daily

A 144-foot tall Iconic Tower, outside the entrance to Assembly Studios, which will be both a beacon for visitors and employees to identify Assembly Atlanta. The tower will showcase the brand's image representing the entire development and displaying digital content produced at Assembly Studios.

• Multi-purpose civic arena facility, which includes a 5,000-seat auditorium, conference center, and hotel rooms

• A unique non-denominational chapel

• Two Doraville police precincts

• The Assembly Development includes a portion of the Chamblee/Doraville BeltLine (a pedestrian and recreational trail) that will run through and along Assembly Atlanta - providing another network connection to metro Atlanta's trail systems, which provides valued amenity and recreational connection through Atlanta and its many communities

Perhaps one of the most significant attributes of the development is its accessibility and connection to Atlanta's mass transit network. Assembly Studios is within Atlanta's I-285 perimeter, steps from the Doraville Marta station, and less than a mile from Peachtree Dekalb Airport, Atlanta's second busiest airport. Access to the property and the ability to seamlessly travel in or find housing anywhere within Atlanta's outer perimeter - make the site's location genuinely unique.

Upon overall project completion, the largest purpose-built film studio in the U.S., Assembly Atlanta, will exist right here in Doraville, Georgia - inviting the world to Georgia to see all that our great state has to offer.