For nearly a year, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has been courting buyers for Turner Field. Now Fulton County, which co-owns the stadium, says it wants a front-row seat at those talks.
In an Oct. 28 letter to Reed and others obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, County Commission Chairman John Eaves has asked to be included in any future negotiations over the stadium’s fate. He also wants an update on “all outstanding issues relating to Turner Field” and proposes a joint committee to oversee the stadium site’s future.
“My main purpose was to inform the mayor that the county needs to be a part of the conversation,” Eaves said in an interview.
Reed’s office, which has taken the lead in discussions with potential buyers, has not yet responded to Eaves’ letter. On Tuesday Reed said he’s willing to sit down with the Fulton Commission chairman over the fate of the ballfield.
But Reed noted decisions surrounding Turner Field are ultimately made by the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority, or AFCRA board, of which Atlanta controls the majority of seats. Turner Field is jointly owned by the city and Fulton County and is operated by the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority.
“The fact of the matter is if you look at the vote count, any transactions involving the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority shall be done by simple majority,” he said.
“Any conversation I have with John Eaves will be a courtesy” he explained, because the board has the final vote.
Turner Field’s future has been uncertain since the Braves announced last November that they plan to move to a new stadium in Cobb County for the 2017 season. Georgia State University and at least two private developers have expressed interest in buying the 77-acre Turner Field site.
Reed has pressed the Braves for a firm departure date, saying that would make it easier to sell the downtown stadium. The team has until Dec. 31, 2015 to notify the AFCRA whether it intends to extend its lease.
Fulton officials have mostly watched those talks from the sidelines. But Eaves’ letter indicates they’re ready to assert themselves into any discussions about the stadium’s future.
“Recognizing that the county is an equity stakeholder in Turner Field, county officials fully intend to be and must be, engaged in all aspects related to what will happen at the site following the Braves impending departure,” Eaves wrote. “Consequently, please include the county on all correspondence related to this matter and provide notice to the county of any and all meetings as well.”
In the letter, Eaves noted the Braves and Atlanta have been discussing the stadium’s fate “without having solicited any involvement” from the county. He requested a meeting to get an update on negotiations and begin a dialogue on “all outstanding issues relating to Turner Field and prospective uses of the property including the impacts upon the surrounding community.”
Finally, Eaves proposed establishing a “joint committee to cooperatively establish certain goals and timetables related to this matter as well as to review and approve plans related to Turner Field and the surrounding area.”
The letter was addressed to Reed; Violet Travis Ricks, executive director of the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority; and Gregory Heller, the Braves’ general counsel.
Though Reed stressed in an interview this week that the AFCRA has ultimate say over the property, he said he doesn’t “have any problem working in a cooperative fashion” with Eaves and that he’s “interested in what (Eaves) has to offer.”
Reed said he’s been in ongoing talks with the Braves, but declined to give details about those discussions other than to say they have been “cooperative.”
The mayor did not say whether the team has made a decision about whether to renew its lease by the end of 2015. A spokeswoman for the baseball franchise declined comment on Tuesday.
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