The Gathering at South Forsyth has brought on an industry vet to help build an arena (and much more) just north of Atlanta.

When Frank Ferrara was waiting for Arizona State to play its first game at Mullett Arena, he counted down the days on a whiteboard in his office. The CFO and senior associate athletic director of ASU athletics had seen the program grow from club hockey to Division 1 and helped shepherd in the building of Mullett Arena, which is now also the temporary home of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.

As excited as Ferrara was, he also realized that the project was going to be over soon - and that he had loved the whole process. A sports industry veteran who had also worked for the NFL for more than 20 years, Ferrara was a hockey fan first and when some of the folks involved in getting Mullett Arena up and running came to him with a new project, he jumped at the chance.

That new project is The Gathering at South Forsyth, an ambitious mixed-use development north of Atlanta that will include a pro-sized arena as its crown jewel. For some in the industry, it's an obvious option if the NHL ever wanted to expand back into one of the biggest TV markets in North America (Houston being the other top-10 market currently without an NHL team).

For Ferrara, The Gathering has the chance to be something special.

"I saw the site here and loved it," he said. "I believe it's something that can really work as the centerpiece of a tremendous multi-use development. Somewhere you want to go to a few hours in advance and maybe stay a few hours after. You're not just buying a seat, you're trying to get that total fan experience and, dare I say, make a memory."

Ferrara is now the senior project executive for The Gathering, which is being spearheaded by local auto magnate Vernon Krause. And his experience with Arizona State is already giving him ideas for how to make The Gathering a destination for locals. Mullett Arena, for example, is also part of a mixed-used development, with a community rink for figure skaters, ASU students and the public also part of the area. And when the Sun Devils were transitioning from club to D1, Ferrara asked coach Greg Powers to send him as much video of the team's club days (including a national championship) as possible: Ferrara wanted to make sure everyone remembered the guys that got them there.

"These were D1 players, they just didn't have the chance at the time," he said. "I quickly connected in a deep way with that club program and saw we were fighting for something important. And I made it clear those players would always be welcome in our arena. It's important to recognize and celebrate the past, it's important to have the support of the community."

He loved when Sun Devils alums came to Mullett in their old jerseys and in part of his research into The Gathering, he reached out to some of Atlanta's hockey past, too. And he went way back to the Atlanta Flames days, talking to the likes of player-turned-coach Tim Ecclestone and legendary GM Cliff Fletcher. One of the most intriguing ideas for The Gathering is to incorporate the Georgia Hockey Museum into the plan.

While The Gathering is going to happen with or without an NHL team, it is something to ponder. Sure, the Thrashers were a second strike for the market, but there were a lot of extraneous factors in the team's move to Winnipeg. The Flames and Thrashers also played downtown, where traffic from the suburbs is tough to navigate. The Gathering is located outside of the city in one of the country's wealthiest counties, where the population has really grown in recent years.

And now they have a big-time hockey fan on board. Ferrara's first sports memory was of his beloved New York Rangers losing to the Bruins in the 1972 Stanley Cup final. His childhood was filled with trips to Madison Square Garden and also Nassau Coliseum, where the rival Islanders played closer to his home.

"I was the guy at the bus stop on Long Island getting picked on because I was wearing a Rangers hat," he said with a laugh.

Ferrara has worn many hats in his professional career, but this latest one in Georgia is one to watch.