Good morning. This is LEADOFF, the early buzz in Atlanta sports.
The Braves' planned move of their spring-training home from Disney World to southwest Florida will be put to another governmental vote Tuesday afternoon.
The Sarasota County Commission will vote on a facility operating agreement that spells out the terms and conditions of a new spring home for the Braves and a non-relocation agreement that requires the team to hold spring training in the facility for 30 years. County staff has recommended approval of both documents.
The 48-page operating agreement sets a targeted completion date of Jan. 15, 2019, for construction of the facility, which is to be built in the Sarasota County city of North Port.
The proposed deal requires a series of approvals by county and city officials — some already received and others still pending.
“Approval of the Facility Operating Agreement and the Non-Relocation Agreement is the next step in negotiations and is a vital part of the state funding application process,” according to a memo from Sarasota County staff to the commissioners.
The deal calls for the county, the state of Florida, North Port, the Braves and a developer to jointly fund the facility, which is projected to cost $75 million to $80 million. More than $40 million in taxpayer money is involved, including about $21.3 million from the county. Approvals of the operating and non-relocation agreements are necessary in order to apply for a $20 million grant spread over 20 years from the state of Florida’s spring-training retention fund.
Under the deal, the Braves would make annual payments of $2 million to $2.5 million toward debt service.
The team would retain all revenue from its events in the stadium and from the sale of naming rights. It would be responsible for routine operating and maintenance expenses and would split about $11.3 million in capital improvement expenses with the county over 30 years.
The Braves plan to train at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex for the final time in 2018.
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DON’T MISS …
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The Gwinnett Braves plan to change names for next season and beyond, leaving county leaders, who have seen years of poor attendance, unsure what to think. See Tyler Estep's full story here.
As expected, Hawks forward Paul Millsap has informed the team's ownership that he doesn't intend to exercise his contract option for next season, moving him one step closer to free agency. See Chris Vivlamore's story here.
