Metro Atlanta School District Opens ‘The Arena’ To Bridge Academics With Economic Growth

The Arena at Southlake is reportedly the first "purpose-built" mid-size arena in Metro Atlanta.

A Metro Atlanta School District has great plans for “The Arena,” a new multi-purpose venue that bridges academic success with economic opportunity.

Properly titled “The Arena at Southlake,” the $100 million space inside Southlake Mall offers top-of-the-line amenities similar to franchise-owned arenas. Owned by Clayton County Public Schools with day-to-day operations managed by The Right Productions (TRP Now, Inc.), The Arena has widespread potential, all geared toward serving students in its district.

The 8,000-seat mid-size arena, nicknamed “The Bowl,” has bookings from Floetry concerts to sports tournaments in the works. Funded by local taxpayers through an E-SPLOST investment, The Arena hopes to rival pre-established venues in Atlanta, so long as the schedule remains blocked out for high school graduations.

Surrounding this center, however, lies its immersive facilities for career development. On its ground floor, the Junior Achievement Delta Discovery Center feels like the ultimate playground for pretend-adulthood. The learning hub features miniature versions of Atlanta-based companies from Chick-fil-A to Delta, offering kids the opportunity to visualize themselves in these roles.

Right next door is the JA Dream Accelerator, the first of its kind in Georgia. Allowing students to explore and envision different career paths, this interactive program will extend to all Clayton County grade schools.

For older students, the second level boasts a Career Academy, which will feature state-of-the-art technology. From broadcast labs to podcasting studios and evergreen spaces, each component will encourage student leadership and innovation as they prepare for life after graduation.

Wanting to further integrate event operations with this “purpose-built” mindset, student participants have developed their own marketing agency. When able, they will develop campaigns and marketing strategies to promote events held at The Arena, earning hands-on experience in this lucrative industry.

At its core, The Arena is a community-led venture to propel Clayton County and its students to the global stage. While the venue expects to bring world-class events to the city of Morrow, student opportunity remains the organizers’ mission.

Forging new opportunities in sports and entertainment is another focus. These events seek to grow the economic impact of Clayton County and its public schools to the Greater Atlanta community, further amplified by its partnership with TRP.

“At TRP Now, our commitment is to serve the students and broader stakeholders of the community while delivering excellent experiences—every event, every time,” said Shahida Mausi, president and CEO of The Right Productions (TRP Now, Inc.). “By innovating and collaborating with best-in-class partners, our goal is to create exceptional cultural moments that attract audiences near and far. Premium execution is our foundation: from seamless logistics to premium guest services, we deliver the highest standards because this community deserves it. Looking ahead, we’re focused on growth, both as a company and as a catalyst for Clayton County. This arena shows what’s possible with forward-thinking leadership and a dedication to service.”

This facility holds even more importance given Clayton County’s status as a primarily Black and Brown school district. Black students make up a vast majority of its classrooms: 67.9%, according to U.S. News & World Report. Hispanic students account for 24.5% of that population.

With these demographics in mind, county educators and administrators established these career readiness programs to prepare students once they leave their hallways.

“For many years, people in our community didn’t get there first, and when that happens, we tend to work from behind. We built this vision based off of giving our children a head start,” District 8 Board Chairman Benjamin Stracker tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “That’s what we’re all about, teaching our children how to conduct business and make profits as they leave our high schools.”

With The Arena’s grand opening set for March, the county’s next cohort of graduates will walk across the stage of their future.

“The Arena at Southlake reflects disciplined leadership and responsible stewardship on behalf of Clayton County’s taxpayers,” CCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Douglas Hendrix Sr. said in a news release. “As a Clayton County Public Schools facility, it was secured to serve our students, families, and community. We acknowledge the collective leadership that helped bring it to fruition. Our commitment is to operate it with unity, integrity, and focus on the people it was built to serve.”

With the county’s motto of “Rooted in Clayton. Built for the World,” The Arena at Southlake will reimagine student engagement and achievement when granted ample opportunity and resources to succeed.