Pledging to “prove” he was right for not spending upwards of $250 million to keep the Atlanta Braves downtown, Mayor Kasim Reed announced the city has already received multiple offers on Turner Field.
“We can sell Turner Field right now,” Reed said in a sit-down with local reporters Thursday morning.
Atlanta has received two to four offers on the 77-acre property, he said, declining to give specifics. He acknowledged, however, that he’s been in conversation with Georgia State University officials and said the nearby school “has some interest” in the land.
The mayor said he wants Atlantans to know “Turner Field is going to be more attractive than it’s ever been.”
No matter what development occurs, the city plans to preserve the monument to Hank Aaron’s home run, he added.
Complicating the issue is the baseball club, which announced plans to relocate to Cobb County by its 2017 season, must officially notify the city whether it plans to extend its lease.
Though Reed declined to give specifics about the types of developers interested in the property, he said each has the financial resources to develop the land.
“All of the parties we have had conversations with about Turner Field have the kinds of resources necessary to fully build out the parcel in a way that would be an improvement over the current site,” he said. “…The only impediment to it is the Braves making a firm exit decision that is irretrievable.”
Reed said when the time is right, he’ll make an announcement about the future development from his executive chambers, the same place he stood last November following the Braves’ bombshell announcement.
When the time is right, the mayor said he’ll be able to prove the decision not to fund improvements to the stadium “without a revenue stream to support it” was the right choice for Atlanta.
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