With site prep work ongoing, the Atlanta Braves and its design team are finalizing plans for SunTrust Park, with final costs for the new ballpark based on that documentation.
The design information is contained in the Gross Maximum Price, which sets out all facets of the ballpark design. The joint venture building SunTrust Park, American Builders 2017, will take that and prepare a construction budget over the next two-three months. What they come up with will be the basis of future planning, as the team is responsible for any costs past what’s been committed from Cobb County bonding. From the Marietta Daily Journal:
“The GMP is a construction document that is essentially what will go to American Builders 2017 (and contains) the detailed designs, drawings, scope and (specifications) of the entire ballpark,” said Braves executive vice president of business operations Mike Plant. “And then they’ll dissect that for another 30 to 45 days, and they’ll inspect every part of that document and then come back and say, ‘OK, here’s the final price that we’re guaranteeing that we’ll build that facility (for).’”
If American Builders 2017 looks at the final design and determines the project will cost more than the current $672 million estimate, Plant said the Braves will absorb the additional cost.
“We’ve experienced a couple challenges when we got into the dirt. And the deal we structure for the county is they’re capped,” Plant said, adding the Braves have already spent into nine figures on the project to date.
This document lays out the basic layout of the facility. Still to come over the next year: more detailed design decisions like finishes and color choices. And we’re at the stage where major changes to the design are happening: for instance, the design of the plaza connecting the ballpark to the adjoining development has been overhauled. Which means we will probably see another round of renderings before the end of the year.
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