Marietta council approves Atlanta United FC landscaping deal
Marietta City Council approved a landscape and development agreement with Atlanta United FC Wednesday, an agreement that gives a green light to the professional soccer team’s plan for landscaping, fencing and netting around their proposed training facility and headquarters on Franklin Road.
The council still has to approve a lease with the team, and city spokeswoman Lindsey Wiles said that agreement should come up for a vote by the end of the month.
“We’re excited that the site plans for the training ground were approved today,” Atlanta United president Darren Eales said in a prepared statement. “We are looking forward to building what will be a top-flight training facility for our academy and first-team players, and a source of pride for our supporters and the Marietta community.”
The city and team came to terms with a preliminary agreement in November that calls for Arthur Blank's new Major League Soccer franchise to build its headquarters, training facility and six lighted practice fields on 32 acres of city-owned land. The agreement calls for the team to "use its best efforts" to invest at least $40 million.
Atlanta FC turned to Marietta officials after negotiating a preliminary agreement with DeKalb County.
The DeKalb deal fell apart after contaminated soil was found at the site that would have required $20 million in remediation. The team then turned to the Marietta site, which they had previously vetted.
Unlike the DeKalb plan, the team’s facility in Marietta will not include a stadium.
About the Author
Dan Klepal is editor of the local government team, supervising nine reporters covering county and municipal governments and metro Atlanta. Klepal came to the AJC in 2012, after a long career covering city halls in Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky. He has covered Gwinnett and Cobb counties before spending three years on the investigative team.
