Wednesday, May 7, 2014

DEVELOPING: Georgia State Wants Turner Field

The talk had gone down about a month ago that Georgia State University was really interested in the Turner Field property that will be vacated by the Atlanta Braves when they move to the suburbs for the 2017 season.

It's now official...in proposal form, anyway...

Janel Davis and J. Scott Trubey over at the AJC got the look at what the university wants to do for their future. They want to turn Turner Field into a 30,000-seat facility for sports and build a mixed-use development around it.

The Braves lease allows them until Jan. 1, 2016, to officially give notice to the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority of whether it will exercise a five-year option on using the property. The lease expires Dec. 31, 2016. Beyond that, the lease gives the Braves options to extend for four successive five-year periods.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is looking for answers from the Braves at the earliest possible time so he can move on the ideas that are coming across his desk- and it looks like GSU's stadium/park/dorms is the leader in the clubhouse.

The one quote from GSU President Mark Becker:

“We are focused on the future for the best possible use for Atlanta and honoring the history and tradition of (the Braves and Olympics),” he told Davis and Trubey.

The team has gone through tough sledding in Division I in, now, the Sun Belt Conference and need a boost of energy to be a relevant part of the athletics landscape. This could do it for the future of the university proper...

Here's the look after their spring game last month...
((HT: Georgia State Athletics their own selves))

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