The Atlanta Braves intend to leave Turner Field by Dec. 31, 2016, according to Mayor Kasim Reed’s office.

The Atlanta National League Baseball Club Inc. has formally notified Reed and the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority, which manages Turner Field, that the team doesn’t plan to exercise its lease extension option, according to a statement from Reed’s administration.

The team is anticipated to begin its 2017 season at a new $672 million stadium in Cobb County.

The long-awaited news could mean that the authority can move ahead with plans to redevelopment the downtown Atlanta site.

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