April 2008 – Alpharetta, GA – On a warm spring evening, the city of Alpharetta celebrated the grand opening of the newly christened Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, now known as Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. Officially unveiled on May 10, 2008, the venue welcomed its inaugural audience with a performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, marking a defining moment in Alpharetta’s rise as a regional cultural destination.
With a 12,000-seat capacity, the amphitheatre was developed through a partnership between Cousins Properties and Live Nation, blending state-of-the-art concert facilities with the city’s broader vision for a vibrant mixed-use district known as Encore Park. Designed to harmonize with the area’s natural contours and suburban character, the amphitheatre’s sweeping canopy, terraced seating, and lush landscaping reflect a deliberate architectural focus on integration with the surrounding environment.
A key figure behind the success of the amphitheatre’s siting and execution was Brian Patton, then an Alpharetta city planner and a liaison to the project’s master development team. Patton played a critical role not just in supporting the inclusion of the venue in the Encore Park masterplan—but in championing its relocation to a more strategic site further from Georgia 400 to mitigate traffic noise. His insight helped shift the amphitheatre to a topographically suitable portion of the property, ensuring the venue was nestled naturally within the terrain. This move not only enhanced accessibility for concertgoers but crucially distanced the facility from nearby residential areas, minimizing potential noise impacts and improving overall community reception.
“The original site placement was functional,” Patton later explained, “but we had an opportunity to do something smarter—aligning the amphitheatre with both the lay of the land and the needs of the neighbors. That kind of balance is what planning is all about.”
The results speak for themselves. Since its debut, the venue has hosted a who’s-who of music legends, from Dave Matthews Band to Tom Petty, and maintains a special relationship with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, it adopted the Ameris Bank name through a new sponsorship agreement, further cementing its place in Alpharetta’s cultural and economic fabric.
Brian Patton, CCIM, is a commercial real estate broker, land specialist, and investment property expert with over 30 years of experience. A former zoning official and city planner, Brian has helped thousands of landowners and investors navigate the complexities of development, permitting, and investment analysis. He is the author of Mailbox Moo-la and Land Moo-la, both practical guides for generating income and maximizing land value. Brian has taught real estate courses, lectured at the University of Alabama, and hosted real estate radio shows and podcasts. He lives in Georgia, where he remains active in his community and local church.
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