Cumberland Businesses Asked To Invest Big On Braves

The other big chunk is set to come from business owners in the area surrounding the stadium – in Cobb’s Cumberland district.

WABE’s Jonathan Shapiro recently spoke with Tad Leithead, board chair of the Cumberland Community Improvement District, to discuss the deal’s terms.

Leithead began with a short explainer.

“The Cumberland CID is made up of 180 business owners – commercial property owners – who voluntarily tax themselves to fund infrastructure – mostly transportation projects – within the district.”

About 40 percent of the deal’s public funding will come from within the Cumberland district by way of tax hikes on commercial property owners and new hotel fees. Leithead said most understand the deal’s upside.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a hundred percent unanimous vote for anything in history so I’m not going to make the claim that everybody’s on board. So far, no one has told me they’re not on board,” said Leithead.

Cumberland business owners will shell out for stadium construction, a Disney-like trolly system to move people throughout the immediate area, and infrastructure improvements meant to feed into a 45-acre, Braves-designed apartment and entertainment complex.

“It’s going to be a 365 day-a-year complex where dining and shopping and…a very walkable environment. Something along the lines of Atlantic Station except with a baseball stadium and our belief that that is going to be a significant return on the amount of money that will be invested in that district,” said Leithead, who also heads the Atlanta Regional Commission, the primary planning agency of the metro area.

To those worried about unbearably clogged roads, Leithead said the Cumberland location, even without additional public transit, has “exponentially better” accessibility than Turner Field.

Plus, he said all the local investment could attract new funds for transit.

“We do hope that the relocation of the Braves may create some better opportunities at the state and federal level for funding,” said Leithead.

He said first on the wish list is a new $500 million express bus system from midtown Atlanta to the Cumberland area.