NPAR | 17
Seat 4
A step closer
City of North Port moves forward with plans to bring Atlanta Braves training facility
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Written by : Megan Hart NPAR Correspondent
After nearly a year of negotiations , the Atlanta Braves intend to make North Port their new spring training home , the team announced on Tuesday .
The Braves are now in exclusive talks with the City of North Port . If all goes to plan , the West Villages , a planned community currently in development , will be the site of a new 70-acre spring training complex featuring practice fields , training facilities and a 6,500-seat stadium . The facility will host Braves games starting in 2019 . In total , the project is expected to cost about $ 75 million .
The addition of the Braves ’ spring training complex will bring a boost to the area just south of West Villages Parkway and U . S . 41 in North Port . Ultimately , the West Villages will encompass 11,000 acres and include residential and commercial space .
Staff from the West Villages began working with representatives from the Braves in March of 2016 .
The team also considered moving from its current home at Disney ’ s Wide World of Sports in Orlando to Palm Beach and Collier counties , before ultimately selecting North Port .
Designs for the Braves ’ new complex are already in the works , while funding is expected to be the focal point as negotiations between the Braves , the City of North Port and Sarasota County progress . According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune , the county is expected to contribute $ 22 million raised by tourism development taxes . The City of North Port , the State of Florida and the Atlanta Braves will finance the remainder of the project .
Currently , the site that is expected to house the Braves ’ new complex sits empty , but it will not stay that way for long . The area , already close to the State College of Florida ’ s North Port campus , will soon be home to new elementary and middle schools . In addition to hosting spring training games , the complex may also be used for youth sports tournaments and other special events .