Tyler Perry is continuing to expand his entertainment empire. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that the mogul recently spent $8.4 million on an additional 37 acres. The newly acquired land will be used to develop an entertainment district, retail shops, and restaurants. The plot is adjacent to Tyler Perry Studios.
The self-made showman’s production facility sits on 330 acres in southwest Atlanta on the former Army base Fort McPherson. He purchased much of the base for $30 million in 2015, and has since made well over a billion dollars from the scores of films and shows that are filmed on the lot. The studio rivals those of Hollywood and boasts 12 sound stages, 40 buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places, 200 acres that are suitable for sets of any magnitude, and more. In 2019, he marked the Tyler Perry Studios (though the facility had already been in use) grand opening with a star-studded gathering that featured the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Cicely Tyson, Ava DuVernay, and countless other Black creatives whose work in the industry is celebrated.
In June 2021, it was reported that Perry and mega-church leader Bishop T.D. Jakes partnered to purchase some of the remaining land that was once part of Fort McPherson. The director was expected to purchase 37.5 acres and Jakes’ 94.5 acres. The deed for Perry’s parcel reportedly was transferred on Dec. 28. Their proposals were approved by the Fort Mac LRA Board (McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority). The “Alex Cross” actor previously told the Atlanta Business Chronicle that “There could be three or four restaurants and an alley of about 10 small theater houses and dinner theaters, with 50 seats to 350 seats.” The Potter’s House leader is said to be in the works of developing a separate project via T.D. Jakes Real Estate Ventures.
At the time Perry and Jakes’ plan to purchase the land was announced, Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp said that “significant job creation such as this will create more opportunities for hardworking Georgians and surrounding small businesses, which are the real backbone of our state’s economy. Then-Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also expressed support for the endeavor. She said the deal would be another “monumental chapter in the history of Fort Mac. … The positive impact will be felt for generations to come.”