A diamond in the rough ...
Written by Sue Erwin
Photos provided by the Atlanta Braves Organization
If you build it, they will come.
The quote from the epic baseball movie “Field of Dreams” seems very appropriate
when it comes to the new Atlanta Braves spring training facility currently being
finished near U.S. 41 along West Villages Parkway in Sarasota County.
The Braves will play their first spring training game at the new complex on Sunday, March
24, 2019 against the Tampa Bay Rays. According to the schedule that will be final spring
training game the Braves will play in Florida until next spring.
The new ballpark will have 6,500 seats and will be able to host another 2,500 general
admission visitors for fans wanting to watch from the bleacher section or the courtyard.
And fans should have no problem seeing the score – there will be a 40-foot by 80-foot,
high-definition scoreboard featured along the centerfield wall. The facility will include parking
to accommodate 2,100 cars. The cost of the complex exceeds $100 million.
Since the groundbreaking in October of 2017, more than 400 workers have been at
the site every day, working under a tight deadline to get the stadium ready for opening
day.
Mike Dunn, vice president of daily operations, said the overall facility will
include six practice fields, 55,000 square feet of clubhouse and fitness center
for the Braves and public space that can be used for special events.