Last night, more than 200 residents showed up at the first public meeting about future plans for Turner Field when the Atlanta Braves leave.
Most of them seemed skeptical that their voices would be heard this time around.
Audience members frequently interrupted and booed speakers who said there would be a parallel process for accepting proposals from developers and getting community feedback.
The Atlanta Fulton Recreation Authority asked residents to put their comments on cards. Here’s what one resident wrote:
“Old Fulton Community Stadium was built despite having community opposition. More currently, the new stadium in Cobb was approved without taxpayer input. Local government does NOT have a good track record of listening to input from the local community.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed told the crowd that getting a deal done soon is important. He said he hoped Georgia State University would be one of the bidders and added that the state legislature should provide the university with adequate funds to build out its plan.
“We’re looking for a buyer that has the capacity to finish their plan in a five year period of time, fully capitalized with a quarter of a billion dollars in capital,” Reed said. “That way we won’t have another situation in the future where there are promises in the future that were left unfulfilled.”
The city will begin accepting proposals to redevelop Turner Field next month with a mid-November deadline.
“The fact of the matter is, we are right on the verge of delivering something that is going to be extraordinary,” Reed said. “And in the interim, nothing’s been delivered to you, except a putt-putt course. Nothing! Nobody’s delivered anything to you since the Olympics.”
