|
SunTrust Park is a baseball park under construction that will serve as the future home of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB), located in the Cumberland area of Cobb County, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta. Instead of renovating Turner Field, their current ballpark, the Braves announced on November 11, 2013 that they would leave after 2016, when their lease ends, for a new stadium to be built in Cobb County, north of Atlanta. ==Background== Turner Field has been the home of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball since the 1997 season. It was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Summer Olympics, then partially reconstructed as a baseball-only stadium for the 1997 baseball season, eliminating the possibility of other sporting event uses such as track and field. The stadium is owned by the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority (AFCRA) and leased to the Braves, who have full control over its operations. According to team president John Schuerholz, Turner Field needs $350 million in renovations—$150 million for structural upkeep and $200 million to improve the fan experience.〔 Braves executive vice president Mike Plant has stated that capital maintenance would be much less at the new stadium. While Turner Field was designed from the ground up with the Braves in mind, Plant said that it requires higher capital maintenance costs because it was value engineered for the 1996 Summer Olympics. This has led to higher capital maintenance costs in the long run. Plant estimates that capital maintenance costs at the new stadium will be no more than $80 million after 30 years – less than half of the $150 million in capital maintenance needed for Turner Field after 17 years.〔 Braves executives have said growing transportation issues have made it difficult for fans to come to games. Also, Turner Field is currently under-served by about 5,000 parking spaces. Turner Field is from the nearest Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) train station. Although MARTA runs a shuttle service on game days, the Braves claim that fans have been unwilling to come to games in recent years due to metro Atlanta's infamous congestion. The Braves also have said that parking around the stadium is inadequate.〔 In addition, Plant has noted the downtown location "doesn't match up with where the majority of our fans come from." Plant said that while the Braves operate Turner Field, they have no control over the commercial development around the stadium. Other baseball stadiums built in recent years have been accompanied by nearby shopping and entertainment. The Braves were in talks in 2013 with the recreational authority to extend the team's original lease, Plant said, but those talks broke down. Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed said the city could not afford to support the kind of renovations the Braves desired, especially while already funding Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「SunTrust Park」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|