With a Palm Beach Gardens location for a new Houston Astros/Toronto Blue Jays spring-training complex off the table, the search is on for a new site within Palm Beach County. The issues: questions about the appropriateness of a regional park as the future home of the complex (which would be near two schools and require […]
Tag Archives | 2017
Ted Turner: Preserve Turner Field as green space
There’s no chance it will happen, but Ted Turner wants to see the Turner Field site preserved as green space after it is demolished in 2017. Interestingly enough, Turner’s first reaction wasn’t to keep the ballpark and former Olympic stadium intact; rather, his inclination was to come down against retail development in favor of green […]
New Braves ballpark hits resistance from school district, Tea Party
An unlikely alliance of school-board members, Tea Partiers and Democrats are combining to oppose any public funding of a new Atlanta Braves ballpark in Cobb County. All three have their own reasons to oppose public money for the $672-million Braves ballpark, which will also include a $400-million development adjacent to the facility. This was a […]
Could new Braves ballpark be derailed by lawsuit?
Tea Party opponents of a new Atlanta Braves ballpark in suburban Cobb County are searching for a legal reason to oppose the project — but the clock is ticking. The issue: the way the Braves introduced the new ballpark — just two weeks before a county vote on the project — didn’t give opponents much […]
New Braves ballpark hits $1B mark with addition of entertainment complex
The Atlanta Braves upped the ante on a new Cobb County ballpark by announcing a new entertainment district as part of the plan, driving the cost of the project over a billion dollars. It’s a pure development play for the Braves, who will pick up the costs of the $400-million, 45-acre development plan. The goal: […]
Gone too soon, or good riddance? Thoughts on Turner Field’s future demolition
Reaction to the news that Turner Field would be torn down in 2017 came in two forms: goodbye to a mediocre ballpark, versus disbelief that such a young facility is doomed. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at the decision. A cell phone, we are told by the service providers, can be upgraded every two years — although […]
Turner Field to be torn down in 2017
With the Atlanta Braves moving to a new suburban ballpark in 2017, Turner Field is slated to be torn down to make way for new development, according to Mayor Kasim Reed. Turner Field’s location may not be ideal for a professional sports venue — it’s directly on a freeway clogged with rush-hour traffic right before […]
Braves to leave Turner Field, will build new Cobb County ballpark
Bucking the trend toward downtown ballparks, the Atlanta Braves will be leaving Turner Field and moving to a new suburban Cobb County ballpark for the 2017 season, according to team officials. The bombshell was announced this morning by team officials. The new ballpark would open in 2017, and team officials say it’s a done deal. […]
Crane: We could have relocated PCL team here by 2016
Astros owner Jim Crane says Triple-A ball could be in the Houston area by 2016, and announced that planning a new spring-training home to be shared with the Toronto Blue Jays is in the final stages. The Astros have been working with an area developer on a plan that would include a new Triple-A ballpark; […]
Flying Squirrels extend Diamond lease, setting stage for ballpark improvements
With a new ballpark several years down the road, the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) signed a lease extension for The Diamond through 2015, with options through 2017. With the lease extension in hand, the Richmond Metropolitan Authority will accede to the team’s wish for new lighting at the ballpark, with a new […]
Lee County to Nats: We really, really love you
Lee County still wants to see the Washington Nationals as a tenant at City of Palms Park, but with little money for upgrades, county and Fort Myers officials are embarking on a new strategy: convince the Nats front office they are loved. It’s a common strategy: when you don’t have the money to address a […]