- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
The ATL Thread: Braves building $662M spring training facility in St. Pete, FL
Posted on 9/22/15 at 1:37 pm
Posted on 9/22/15 at 1:37 pm
Opening in 2018 assuming they finalize a deal. Much better location than Disney.
quote:
Listed as the team's architect is Populous, one of the nation's leading firms for sports architecture and the the same firm that's building the Braves' new Cobb County Stadium. The proposal says the site plan can be modified to host two Major League Baseball teams for spring training, which is a trend in the sport.
The proposed complex would be much like Disney's "Wide World of Sports" complex near Orlando, where the team is under contract for one more year. That facility includes much more than its baseball fields, and the proposed "SportsPark" would be an "international destination facility" including facilities to host tournaments in a dozen sports, including basketball, soccer and swimming.
The proposal would include a 10,000-seat baseball stadium with berm seating for an additional 1,000 fans, a 15,000-seat fieldhouse for basketball or other indoor events, a track and field facility with 20,000 seats, an aquatic center with a pool and hockey rink and a 200,000-square foot dormitory that could house 800 people.
Part of the 258-page proposal is a letter from Braves president John Schuerholz to Sheffield, confirming "extensive discussions" about the proposal and "significant interest" in "exploring a partnership." The Braves are "especially interested," he writes, "given the youth sports initiative and positive impact it will provide to kids of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances." Schuerholtz said construction could begin by next year with the facility set for completion by the 2018 season.
This post was edited on 9/22/15 at 2:33 pm
13
Posted on 9/22/15 at 1:39 pm to volfan30
Posted on 9/22/15 at 1:49 pm to volfan30
badass
Posted on 9/22/15 at 1:55 pm to TheOcean
That's pretty awesome
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:06 pm to volfan30
Still would be 1/2 full. Don't know too many snowbirds who winter in Florida and drive 6 hours north. St Petersburg has more northeast teams fans that atlanta. Rays sell out v Red sox, Yankees, Mets etc.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:13 pm to volfan30
The draw for the Wide World of Sports is Disney. I don't think you can replicate that in St. Pete. I don't think people will want to flock to St. Pete like they do to Disney.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:15 pm to volfan30
quote:
15,000-seat fieldhouse for basketball or other indoor events, a track and field facility with 20,000 seats
What? Why?
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:16 pm to volfan30
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:26 pm to volfan30
quote:
10,000-seat baseball stadium
They can lease it to the Rays during the regular season.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:32 pm to BigPerm30
quote:
The draw for the Wide World of Sports is Disney. I don't think you can replicate that in St. Pete. I don't think people will want to flock to St. Pete like they do to Disney.
I don't think they will have a ton of issues. Phils next door in Clearwater and Yankees across the bay in Tampa have no issues. They will probably be playing those teams very frequently as well.
The real reason for this is there are no teams left in the middle of the state outside of the Tigers, who may end up sharing this facility with the Braves. This will make travel much, much easier.
This post was edited on 9/22/15 at 2:38 pm
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:35 pm to volfan30
Let me preface this by saying I love the Braves, but Atlanta sports suck too damn bad to be spending this kind of money on facilities.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:37 pm to volfan30
Gotta train those 70 win teams in style, I guess. 
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:37 pm to volfan30
It always seemed like they put teams in places people might want to go on vacation to in spring. Then there is the Tigers in freaking Lakeland.
It makes sense for teams to operate out of just the two coasts and not central florida. But what is this facility for exactly? Just reading the article it looks like someone wants an IMG academy type place built.
It makes sense for teams to operate out of just the two coasts and not central florida. But what is this facility for exactly? Just reading the article it looks like someone wants an IMG academy type place built.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:39 pm to volfan30
quote:
The proposal would include a 10,000-seat baseball stadium
Would be perfect for the Rays...
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:42 pm to floridatigah
quote:
But what is this facility for exactly? Just reading the article it looks like someone wants an IMG academy type place built.
I was wondering the same thing. There is mention of Gary Sheffield's foundation/academy. Is he wanting to start his own prep school/youth sports academy here or something?
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:45 pm to volfan30
Attendance will be fine. Who else is gonna use it? That building can't just be single purpose.
But good lord that's quite a price tag
But good lord that's quite a price tag
Posted on 9/22/15 at 2:48 pm to volfan30
Saw that when I googled, I'm going to look into it more later. But those numbers just sounded ridiculous, a 20,000 seat track stadium sounds like a football stadium.
Posted on 9/22/15 at 3:25 pm to volfan30
quote:
I don't think they will have a ton of issues. Phils next door in Clearwater and Yankees across the bay in Tampa have no issues. They will probably be playing those teams very frequently as well.
The real reason for this is there are no teams left in the middle of the state outside of the Tigers, who may end up sharing this facility with the Braves. This will make travel much, much easier.
I'm not really concerned about the Braves draw. How do you support the rest of that huge complex without Disney World?
Posted on 9/22/15 at 3:32 pm to volfan30
Thread title is misleading, vol. This isn't finalized or even that close right now.
Here is a story written back in April about the site
Here is a story written back in April about the site
quote:
But lurking beneath the grassy surface is a construction engineer's nightmare: a layer of garbage, perhaps as thick as 60 feet in some places, emitting methane gas and creating an unstable building surface. Though the location of the former Toytown landfill is prime, the roughly 25 years worth of buried household trash, construction debris, yard waste and sludge takes the sheen off a site the county has been trying for years to sell or lease.
This post was edited on 9/22/15 at 3:36 pm
Posted on 9/22/15 at 3:38 pm to volfan30
quote:
he real reason for this is there are no teams left in the middle of the state outside of the Tigers, who may end up sharing this facility with the Braves. This will make travel much, much easier.
Aren't the Astros still in Kissimmee? I know there have been talks of them teaming up with the Nationals on a new facility, but I haven't heard anything in a while.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News