Surprised no one started a thread on this. The Braves have decided to build a new, $670M stadium, in suburban Cobb County, and leave Turner Field. Turner, by the way, isn't even 20 years old yet. 20.

 

Best part - Cobb County voters will be forking over $450M in public funding, to be covered by a tax increase (or a few), and they will NOT get to vote on it. If it was an entirely new tax type, they'd get to vote. But instead, the plan goes to the county board without referendum, with a plan to increase some combination of EXISTING taxes, which does not require a public vote.

 

This is a county that, by the way, has been cleaving off teaching jobs and requiring public employee furlough days because they can't afford their budget.

 

It is difficult to describe how many ways I hate this. 20 year old stadium, and they are leaving??? No public input on funding? Building a park in the suburbs, no where near transit? If I was in Atlanta and a Braves fan, I'd be livid.

 

And here is a nightmare scenario: what if there is a huge public outcry over the funding, and the board doesn't vote for it? Or they do vote for it, and lawsuits pop up left and right, and the deal is eventually killed? The Braves have now made enemies of the City of Atlanta (who owns Turner field) and a lot of their fans.

 

In regards to that last point, it's not like they have a ton of fans showing up already (even for playoff games). I don't think they are too worried about pissing off fans that live in the city since those fans aren't showing up now.

Surprised no one started a thread on this. The Braves have decided to build a new, $670M stadium, in suburban Cobb County, and leave Turner Field. Turner, by the way, isn't even 20 years old yet. 20.

 

Best part - Cobb County voters will be forking over $450M in public funding, to be covered by a tax increase (or a few), and they will NOT get to vote on it. If it was an entirely new tax type, they'd get to vote. But instead, the plan goes to the county board without referendum, with a plan to increase some combination of EXISTING taxes, which does not require a public vote.

 

This is a county that, by the way, has been cleaving off teaching jobs and requiring public employee furlough days because they can't afford their budget.

 

It is difficult to describe how many ways I hate this. 20 year old stadium, and they are leaving??? No public input on funding? Building a park in the suburbs, no where near transit? If I was in Atlanta and a Braves fan, I'd be livid.

 

And here is a nightmare scenario: what if there is a huge public outcry over the funding, and the board doesn't vote for it? Or they do vote for it, and lawsuits pop up left and right, and the deal is eventually killed? The Braves have now made enemies of the City of Atlanta (who owns Turner field) and a lot of their fans.

While I couldn't agree more about teachers getting laid off and furloughs days being taken making it impossible to justify a baseball park, especially when the one they are playing in is only 16 or 17 years old now, I saw a chart, and this stadium will actually be closer to a majority of their ticketholders.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1845737...-for-their-fans

 

 

Seems that intersection (of the two ring interstates) is already a disaster.

 

But it's also where the majority of their fans are coming from.

Surprised no one started a thread on this. The Braves have decided to build a new, $670M stadium, in suburban Cobb County, and leave Turner Field. Turner, by the way, isn't even 20 years old yet. 20.

 

Best part - Cobb County voters will be forking over $450M in public funding, to be covered by a tax increase (or a few), and they will NOT get to vote on it. If it was an entirely new tax type, they'd get to vote. But instead, the plan goes to the county board without referendum, with a plan to increase some combination of EXISTING taxes, which does not require a public vote.

 

This is a county that, by the way, has been cleaving off teaching jobs and requiring public employee furlough days because they can't afford their budget.

 

It is difficult to describe how many ways I hate this. 20 year old stadium, and they are leaving??? No public input on funding? Building a park in the suburbs, no where near transit? If I was in Atlanta and a Braves fan, I'd be livid.

 

And here is a nightmare scenario: what if there is a huge public outcry over the funding, and the board doesn't vote for it? Or they do vote for it, and lawsuits pop up left and right, and the deal is eventually killed? The Braves have now made enemies of the City of Atlanta (who owns Turner field) and a lot of their fans.

It was mentioned this morning in another thread.

While I couldn't agree more about teachers getting laid off and furloughs days being taken making it impossible to justify a baseball park, especially when the one they are playing in is only 16 or 17 years old now, I saw a chart, and this stadium will actually be closer to a majority of their ticketholders.

You can move a stadium closer to your ticketholders and make it harder for them to get there at the same time if the transit options aren't there.

You can move a stadium closer to your ticketholders and make it harder for them to get there at the same time if the transit options aren't there.

I don't think that is true in this case.

I don't think that is true in this case.

I know little of the area but NSS did say this:

Building a park in the suburbs, no where near transit?

I know little of the area but NSS did say this:

Atlanta isn't a big public transportation town. Do you really think the Braves would spend some of their own money, a bunch of public funds, just to build something that will be harder to get to for the majority of their fans? They really aren't dumb.

Atlanta isn't a big public transportation town. Do you really think the Braves would spend some of their own money, a bunch of public funds, just to build something that will be harder to get to for the majority of their fans? They really aren't dumb.

If a suburb offered to build them a new stadium and mostly pay for that stadium on its own? Yeah, I'd do that too

If a suburb offered to build them a new stadium and mostly pay for that stadium on its own? Yeah, I'd do that too

Even if it would hurt your already questionable attendance? Money is the motivation. They obviously feel they will make mor money in the suburbs.

I have an uncle that has lived in suburban Atlanta for 20 years, and I've been down there several times. The Braves have always been the team of 'The South' and not the team of Atlanta. You could make a case that the Braves are the most popular team in 10 states. Their #1 revenue stream has always been TV and not attendance.

 

Also, traffic in Atlanta is terrible and so is public transit. Yes, the Braves will lose some attendance from the city, but they will gain more from Cobb.

 

It sucks for the residents of the county that they didn't get a say in this, but it's definitely a good deal for the Braves.

Its just crazy to me that the Braves are moving 20 years after they built a new stadium. And the media outcry i am reading is more "I cant believe they are moving to the suburbs" more than "i cant believe they are MOVING".

 

Could you imagine if all the sudden the Sox were like "Lease is up, We are out, Rosemont here we come!"?

Could you imagine if all the sudden the Sox were like "Lease is up, We are out, Rosemont here we come!"?

You're not expecting this?

You're not expecting this?

 

Maybe in 20 more years, but not now.

Its just crazy to me that the Braves are moving 20 years after they built a new stadium. And the media outcry i am reading is more "I cant believe they are moving to the suburbs" more than "i cant believe they are MOVING".

 

Could you imagine if all the sudden the Sox were like "Lease is up, We are out, Rosemont here we come!"?

 

That would be so awesome.

That would be so awesome.

 

It would be, but I think the illinois politicians would have a stroke

Sox lease runs through 2029. At that point, they will have been at that park for 39 seasons. Then, who knows, the Havana White Sox?

Its also kind of funny/weird that the owner of the team builds the stadium, puts his name on it, and gives the team only a 20 year lease.

 

Scott Tobias @scott_tobias

Follow

It's actually pretty funny that the Braves are building at the I-75/I-285 interchange, because that's the very spot where all hope dies.

 

 

11:28 PM - 11 Nov 2013

 

29 Retweets 17 favorites

Turner Field will be demolished after 2016. 'Merica.

Stuff like this pisses me off. It's so America to spends crap loads of money and resources on things, then throw them away. Turner Field is still a great park.

Its just crazy to me that the Braves are moving 20 years after they built a new stadium. And the media outcry i am reading is more "I cant believe they are moving to the suburbs" more than "i cant believe they are MOVING".

 

Could you imagine if all the sudden the Sox were like "Lease is up, We are out, Rosemont here we come!"?

A stadium should have a MINIMUM of a 30 year life. Minimum.

 

When the Sox lease runs out in 2029, I'd welcome them to the NW suburbs (but I am a bit selfish, being a resident of the NW burbs)

The Olympics built Turner Field, not the Braves.

The Olympics built Turner Field, not the Braves.

Thank you.