2016 already looks like a record-setter with tennis center, LakePoint, Avatron, Kroger Marketplace, hotels and industrial surge.

By Hometown Headlines with additional reporting by Natalie Simms. Video by George Lataif.

Northwest Georgia has started past new years with some pretty big projects under way or on the way — State Mutual Stadium, various medical projects, college expansions, Lowe’s Regional Distribution Center and industrial growth. But rarely — if ever — has the region had some much happening in one year or with such a diverse selection.

The list for 2016 is envious: The tennis center. Even larger development at LakePoint Sporting Community. The potential first shovels of dirt at AVATRON theme park. Bartow’s booming industrial projects. A massive new Kroger anchoring even more retail on Cartersville’s Main Street. Two or three new multimillion-dollar hotels. And that’s counting some smaller projects in play or some wild cards just under radar. Here’s a sample:

Rome Tennis Center of Georgia at Berry

With an anticipated opening in June, construction is quickly progressing on the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College funded through $11.4 million from the voter-approved special 1-cent tax. Rome City Manager Sammy Rich says the project is right on schedule.

“Construction is making excellent progress, thanks in large part to the very aggressive grading schedule on the front end. Long schedules of seven days per week during the dry months was key,” he says. “Fortunately we were about 98 percent on grading before the monsoon season set in. Part of the great news is that we did not encounter rock or much unsuitable soil to contend with. Based upon project savings, we have added three additional courts bringing court count up to 54.”

The 30-acre site will include the 54 USTA standard courts, including six NCAA regulation courts, three center courts for tournament and collegiate play, one exhibition court, and 12 courts lined for 10-and-under tennis. Additionally, a 3,846-square-foot clubhouse with meeting and event space will overlook the courts.

“I feel the center will be an excellent addition to our toolbox of sports tourism/economic development,” says Rich. “Rome is already a big tennis town and the new center will allow us to grow into an even bigger tennis tournament destination community. Our competition to the south (Mobile) demonstrated a $54 million annual economic impact to that community in 2012, based upon findings from University of South Alabama. We simply want to become the tennis capital of the south.”

Some other Rome/Floyd projects to watch:

• Also due in Rome — and early — this new year: The Hampton Inn and Suites on Turner McCall, opening Jan. 11 and costing more than $9 million.
• Still in flux: Courtyard by Marriott on West Third Street. The long-delayed project could come down to the County Commission’s vote on TAD funding this month.
• Our wild card: Mount Berry Mall. Will the ‘Sears wing’ give way to demolition and a connector road to the tennis center? We think yes.

Bartow County

Bartow County is booming with new projects including continuing development at LakePoint Sporting Community, the new AVATRON USA theme park and new industry construction such as the Shaw Industries plant in Adairsville.

“We’re very excited about our future in Bartow County,” says Steve Taylor, Bartow’s sole County Commissioner. “We are very well-blessed.”

Taylor says one of the biggest projects that will aide in development will be the construction of the new road connecting Old Allatoona Road and Red Top Mountain Road. The $26 million project is expected to get under way this summer.

“That road will connect LakePoint’s north campus to the south campus. Once this is done, we should begin seeing some activity on the north campus of LakePoint,” he says.

LakePoint currently is in the midst of building its indoor entertainment facility. The project is expected to be completed this summer. According to LakePoint’s website, “The new family fun center will feature St. Angelo’s Pizza, Clip n’ Climb rock climbing and 36 holes of miniature golf, all encompassed in a train station theme with it being located adjacent to an active railroad. LakePoint Station will be a vital first step in providing entertainment for all of LakePoint’s visitors as well as the local community. It will also feature a laser maze, arcade, gem mining, and is perfect for birthday parties, team dinners and good old family fun.“

But the biggest project in the indoor sports facility, also due in May. According to LakePoint: It will be have “170,000 square feet under roof with 12 hardwood basketball courts which convert into 24 volleyball courts, each with digital scoreboards. The large amount of open court space gives LakePoint the unique capability of hosting a wide range of indoor sporting events year-round… the Indoor Facility can entertain corporate events, conventions and trade shows. The nine flex rooms in the facility can be used for multiple events or combined into larger meeting areas. There is also a food court, mezzanine, courtyard and much more.”

Avatron: Taylor says the 700-acre land sale for the proposed AVATRON Park is set to close in March. “We hope to see dirt start moving after that. We are working on site and engineering plans as we speak,” he says. “This will be one of the biggest tourism projects Bartow has ever seen.” AVATRON’s principal partners James Ram, originator; David C Garrett, experienced developer; and Jo Ram, technology innovator, announced the large-scale amusement complex last year following the inked Lionsgate partnership.

“We are proud to introduce AVATRON Park to the great state of Georgia and American audiences everywhere,” said Ram, vice chairman of AVATRON. “We are pushing the thresholds of location-based entertainment storytelling like never before, thanks, in part, to our unique combination of experienced creative leadership and technology integration expertise. We look forward to sharing this game-changing experience with future guests.”

Developers say the park concept is a “next generation theme park built on the crossroads of where entertainment meets fantasy and perception becomes reality.” The partners are focused on creating an “interactive theme park with user-centered design and technology to provide a fully immersive experience. This theme park complex is geared for the 21st century with seamlessly embedded technology that raises the bar on every level.”

Park attractions will feature a broad range of multimedia and multi-format offerings with unique combinations of new content, Hollywood storytelling, and cutting-edge special effects. AVATRON aims to set a new standard for the theme park industry by creating attractions that react and respond to guests in a personalized manner.

“Perhaps what sets AVATRON apart is the highly individualized experience we are creating for the end-user. Our interactive platforms cannot be replicated to scale inside the home. The goal is to deliver the most technologically advanced and real-time socially engaged, entertainment experience,” says Jo Ram, AVATRON president.

Attractions in development for the park will include newly created intellectual property along with high-profile gaming and movie industry IP including Lionsgate’s cultural phenomenon, The Hunger Games. Lionsgate has announced its licensing, for the first time in North America, of Hunger Games, Step Up and Now You See Me franchises as part of their partnership agreement with AVATRON. “The innovative storytelling platforms we offer provide different ways and dimensions for fans of all three franchises to continue and extend their personal engagement,” says Ram.

The project will be a three-year build out slated to open in January 2019.

Bartow Industry

Aside from tourism, Bartow is also seeing a burst of new manufacturing industries. Taylor says Highland 75 Industrial Park off Cass White Road is fueling a lot of growth. Construction is expected to begin early this year on the new Constellium N. V. manufacturing facility to be located in the industrial park. According to previous reports, this project represents a $20 million investment by Constellium and an additional $12 million investment by developer Seefried Properties, for a total project value of $32 million.

The start of production at the plant is anticipated in 2017. Constellium expects to create approximately 150 high-tech manufacturing jobs at this location by 2019. (previous story).

Other firms in the Highland 75 park include Surya’s 1-million square foot facility that will soon begin phase two of construction; Beaulieu International‘s new campus valued at $200 million; and voestalpine Group’s production plant.

“We have a couple of other prospects looking at our site for development. We hope to have more announcements coming in the New Year,” says Taylor.

In Adairsville, construction is expected to wrap up sometime this year on Shaw Industries $85 million campus just off Ga. 140 and Hall Station Road on nearly 120 acres. More than 600,000 square feet are under roof and plans are to begin production later this spring. Look for as many as 550 jobs according to Taylor. Click Background.

And how about retail? Main Street Marketplace at Main Street between I-75 and U.S. 41.

By far, the region’s biggest retail project is Main Street Marketplace retail center by Ledbetter Properties under way off Main Street across from Kohls and just beyond Starbucks.

It will feature a 124,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace, the first in our region. That’s roughly 1.5 times as big at the Kroger in East Rome (previous story). Restaurants, an eye clinic and dental center are part of the proposed power center. The project is financed by both private sources and with city tax incentives, according to the design firm. For more, please see Ledbetter site plan here.

Some other Cartersville/Bartow projects to watch:

• Also due in Emerson early this new year: The Hampton Inn at Emerson, opening Jan. 22. It caps an incredible 12 months of development at LakePoint.
• Still on the way: ALDI off Joe Frank Harris Parkway. Look for work to begin soon with an opening set for early December.
• Our wild card: Bass Pro Shop. Five years in the making, with land purchased and ready to build, this one remains on hold. Will those rumors of a Bass Pro purchase of Cabela’s (with a massive store just down I-75) derail these plans?