Tyler Perry transformed Atlanta’s 330-acre army base into a film hub with 12 sound stages

In 2015, media mogul Tyler Perry bought 330 acres of Atlanta’s former Fort McPherson Army base for $30 million. Eleven years later, the large site has become one of North America’s biggest production facilities. It has 12 purpose-built sound stages, 40 historic buildings protected under national heritage rules, and 200 acres of open green space. The project is one of Georgia’s most notable urban redevelopment efforts. It combines the facilities needed for major Hollywood productions with buildings and land that date back to the 19th century.Military roots dating to the nineteenth centuryThe land now home to Tyler Perry Studios has a history that stretches back nearly 200 years. According to information published by Tyler Perry Entertainment, the site was first used for military purposes as early as 1835. It later became a Confederate Army post during the American Civil War. After the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, Major General John A. Schofield suggested naming the post after Union Major General James Birdseye McPherson. McPherson was the highest-ranking Union officer killed in action during the Civil War. Before his death, he had led the Army of the Tennessee through several major ca...