On Tuesday, September 23, the Macon-Bibb County Commission unanimously approved hiring PBK Architects to lead the design and planning of a new arena for Macon-Bibb County.

“We’re very excited to be at this phase. We’ve answered the what—a new arena, and the when—as soon as possible. Now we must determine the who before moving on to the how,” said Director of Planning and Public Spaces Alex Morrison. “This is an important part of the process to identify who will lead the design effort for our community.”

The Commission had previously approved hiring MFA Management, based in Memphis, TN, to act as the county’s owner’s representative. MFA is overseeing the entire arena project to ensure all aspects are managed efficiently and to provide expert guidance. They played a key role in selecting PBK Architects during the RFQ process, alongside the oversight committee, and presented the architects to the Commission on Tuesday.

“PBK is committed to delivering this project on time, on budget, and in a way that will be unmistakably Macon,” said MFA Management COO Dan Springer.

PBK Architects brings 42 years of experience and was recently ranked #10 among the top 100 A&E firms. With 33 offices nationwide, they have designed 80 indoor arenas, received more than 450 design awards, and completed over 18,000 projects—including $20 billion in athletic venue projects.

Springer and MFA Project Executive Will Christenbury, who will reside in Macon during the project, shared examples of what the nearly 200,000-square-foot arena could look like on the property site of the Macon Centreplex. The new arena could host sports tournaments, an ice rink, conventions, championships, indoor concerts, galas, and more.

“This arena isn’t just a venue,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “It’s an economic engine that will create opportunities, attract visitors, and keep our city competitive for years to come.”

The proposed timeline schedules construction to begin in July 2026, with completion anticipated in June 2028.