Atlanta Braves Plan Move To Cobb County In 2017

“It is my understanding that the Atlanta Braves announced their plan to move from Turner Field to a new stadium in Cobb County. When Time Warner merged with AOL in 2001, the Atlanta Braves were part of the merger package, and later acquired by Liberty Media Corporation. I am no longer part of the company and have not been involved in the decision making since 2001.  I just hope the Braves will be happy in their new location and continue their winning ways.”

Update at 1:53 p.m.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says the league “fully supports” the Braves’ plans to move to Cobb County where they’ll build a new stadium.

Here’s the full statement:

“The Braves have kept us apprised of their stadium situation throughout this process. Major League Baseball fully supports their decision to move to a new ballpark in Atlanta for the 2017 season, and we look forward to their continued excellence representing their community, both on and off the field.”

Update at 12:44 p.m.

In a statement just released responding to the Braves’ announcement, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says, “I wish them well.”

He also said the city wasn’t willing to spend hundreds of million of dollars in tax revenue towards keeping the Braves at Turner Field. Meanwhile, the Mayor said he’ll work over the next three years to redevelop Turner Field.

Here’s the full statement from the Mayor:

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 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. Over the next three years, we will be working with our prospective partners to bring residential and business development that is worthy of our city and strengthens our downtown. Those conversations will continue and I am excited about how we use the land that is now Turner Field, to be a tremendous asset for our residents, our city, and our region for years to come.

Original post at 10:46 a.m.

In a surprise announcement, the Atlanta Braves today announced plans to move from Turner Field in downtown Atlanta to Cobb County. In a video release, Atlanta Braves general manager John Schuerholz said the new baseball stadium will open in time for the 2017 baseball season.

Schuerholz says the Atlanta Braves don’t own Turner Field and the team’s current operating lease there ends in three years.

“We wanted to find a location that’s great for our fans, makes getting to and from the stadium much easier and provides a first-rate game day experience in and around the stadium,” said Schuerholz.

He says Turner Field is in hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades. Even with those upgrades, “that massive investment would not do anything to improve access of the fan experience,” said Schuerholz. “These are issue we simply can’t overcome.”

Schuerholz also says the team’s plans include turning the surrounding area around the planned location, at the intersection of I-75 and I-285, into a mixed-use development.

“This new park will be in the heart of Braves County,” said Schuerholz.

For more information, the Braves are directing people to its new website: http://homeofthebraves.com/