Atlanta Braves Reveal Plans to Move to New Stadium

Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise Atlanta Braves have revealed plans to relocate to a new suburban stadium in 2017.

Braves executives John Schuerholz, Mike Plant and Derek Schiller told a small group of reporters that the new ballpark will be built in suburban Cobb County, at the northwest intersection of I-75 and I-285 in the Galleria/Cumberland Mall area. They said the team has “secured” 60 acres of land for the project, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves said the project will be built in partnership with Cobb County. The Braves will leave Turner Field when their 20-year agreement expires after the 2016 season.

The Braves released a statement explaining the move and the limitations Turner Field presents for future remodeling and expansion.

The statement said: “Turner Field is a facility that was built for three weeks of use for the Olympics, but has now served us well for nearly 20 years. The issue isn’t the Turner Field we play in today, but instead whether or not the venue can remain viable for another 20 to 30 years.

“Turner Field has served the Braves well since 1997, but it is in need of major infrastructure work, which will cost around $150 million. These upgrades are functional ones, such as replacing worn-out seats or upgrading the stadium’s lighting, and they would do little to significantly enhance the fan experience. If the Braves were to pay for additional projects focused on improving the fan experience, the additional costs could exceed $200 million.

“Those upgrades still wouldn’t address the logistical challenges outside the stadium – lack of consistent mass transit options, inadequate number of parking spaces and limited access to major highways.”

Atlanta Mayor Wishes Braves Well

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed revealed they couldn’t stump up the cash to keep the Braves in the city.

He said in a statement: “The Atlanta Braves are one of the best baseball teams in America, and I wish them well.

“We have been working very hard with the Braves for a long time, and at the end of the day, there was simply no way the team was going to stay in downtown Atlanta without city taxpayers spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make that happen. It is my understanding that our neighbor, Cobb County, made a strong offer of $450M in public support to the Braves and we are simply unwilling to match that with taxpayer dollars.

“Given the needs facing our city and the impact of Turner Field stadium on surrounding neighborhoods, that was something I, and many others were unwilling to do. We have been planning for the possibility of this announcement and have already spoken to multiple organizations who are interested in redeveloping the entire Turner Field corridor.”