The Atlanta Braves shocked baseball fans and local contractors alike Nov. 11 when the team announced a pending deal to build a new, $672-million ballpark in Cobb County, Ga., near the Interstate 75/I-285 interchange. That same day, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed added to the surprise when he announced the city will demolish Turner Field after the 2016 baseball season and redevelop the surrounding area.
Cobb County commissioners are scheduled to vote Nov. 26 on the deal, which is funded partly by new taxes. If approved, the Braves say construction should commence in late 2014, with completion of the roughly 40,000-seat ballpark scheduled in time for the start of the 2017 major-league season.