Georgia State to build baseball stadium on site where Hank Aaron made home run history

Hank Aaron statue to be moved to new site on footprint of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
A rendering of the planned new baseball stadium to be built in downtown Atlanta on the campus of Georgia State University.

Credit: Photo provided

Credit: Photo provided

A rendering of the planned new baseball stadium to be built in downtown Atlanta on the campus of Georgia State University.

A new baseball stadium is coming to downtown Atlanta.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the construction of a new stadium for the Georgia State University baseball program on the downtown Atlanta campus on Tuesday.

The 1,000-seat stadium will be constructed on the current location of Georgia State’s Green Lot along Pollard Boulevard, which includes the footprint of the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, moving the baseball program on campus. The current facility is located 12 miles away in Panthersville.

Following the approval at the board’s monthly meeting, the University System Office and Georgia State staff will proceed with design and construction. Completion of the project is planned in time for the start of the 2026 season in February.

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Credit: ArLuther Lee

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Credit: ArLuther Lee

The project, with a budget of $15.85 million, will be funded by GSU Athletic Association gifts and reserves and Foundation funds and gifts.

“We thank the Board of Regents and staff for their support,” Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb said in a statement. “There is a lot of work ahead, but this is a very exciting day for Georgia State Athletics. A new, modern facility on campus, accessible to our students and fans and convenient for our student-athletes will be a tremendous boost to baseball program.”

The statue of home run king Hank Aaron that currently sits in the entry plaza at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium will be moved to the baseball site in honor of Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run, which he hit at Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium on April 8, 1974.

January 22, 2021 Atlanta: The 715 mark on the wall at the old Atlanta Fulton County stadium where Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s homerun. (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

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Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

The stadium will be located just north of Center Parc Credit Union Stadium, the home of Georgia State football and the headquarters for the athletic program, and just south of the new GSU Convocation Center, the homecourt for the GSU basketball teams in the Summerhill neighborhood.

“We have been great stewards of our relationship with the Summerhill community, and the baseball facility is the next step,” Cobb said. “Once this project is completed, we will start the process to move the softball facility downtown.”