Atlanta Braves' Plan To Relocate Spring Training to North Port Gets Final Approval

NORTH PORT - The plan for the Atlanta Braves to relocate their spring training home to the North Port area has passed its final hurdle with the stadium complex ready for Grapefruit League action in 2019. The North Port City Commission approved the final development agreement Tuesday. The team will play at a $75 million stadium and spring training complex within the North Port city limits with access to U.S. 41.

“We are pleased to move forward after this final approval and we look forward to building a world-class facility that will bring Braves baseball to West Villages, the City of North Port and Sarasota County,” said John Schuerholz, Braves vice chairman. “On behalf of the Braves we thank all those who worked so diligently to make this happen. Our hope is to break ground next month so that we can be ready for spring training in 2019.”

The Braves currently play at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando. The deal for a new spring training home took more than two years to complete.

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The overall cost of the 8,000-seat stadium and complex is expected to be $75 million. The State of Florida will contribute an additional $20 million from a grant, while North Port is expected to contribute $4 to $5 million over a 30-year period, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The remainder is to be covered by private developer West Villages ($15 million) and the Braves themselves, who will put in $7.5 million upfront as well as a lease valued at $2 to $2.5 million annually.

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