Georgia State gets OK for baseball facility project at iconic sports site

Georgia State has been cleared to begin construction on a long-awaited new baseball facility at the site of the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The site — which is currently a parking lot for Georgia State’s football stadium located at the former Turner Field — was once home to the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Chiefs, the Peach Bowl and baseball games during the 1996 Olympics.

The Board of Regents initially approved the project in May 2024. The final step was approval of a land disturbance permit, which the city of Atlanta cleared on Nov. 18.

Construction on the project, which is estimated to cost $15 million to $16 million, is scheduled to be complete by fall 2026.

“This stadium represents more than just a place to play baseball,” Georgia State President M. Brian Blake said in a statement. “It connects Georgia State to Atlanta’s sports legacy and creates a vibrant future for our program and community.”

Perhaps most notably, the site of this stadium will mark Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run. To honor that history, Georgia State will relocate the Aaron statue from Center Parc Credit Union Stadium to the new baseball stadium’s main entrance, according to the news release from GSU.

There will also be a “commemorative marker” in left field to mark the location of Aaron’s home run.”