Sweet. Another Braves team in Atlanta

[15fan]

A team (Rome) is about 45 minutes away up I-75 to the north.

Looks like AAA team (currently in Richmond) is going to move to Gwinnett - north on I 85.

Yet another reason for me to not go anywhere near Gwinnett.

A 3rd Braves team in the metro ATL

The Class AAA Richmond Braves, the organization's highest-level minor-league affiliate, could play in Gwinnett as soon as 2009. The Braves' three-year contract at the Richmond, Va. stadium, known as The Diamond, runs through the 2010 season, but the Braves have the option to pull out after the 2008 season. The Braves must give notice on or before Oct. 1 each year. The Braves have wanted much-needed renovations at the stadium for years.

There currently isn't a stadium in Gwinnett that could accommodate a Class AAA baseball team and a location for such a stadium is not known.

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is expected to consider a $5 million "purchase and sale agreement" of 12 acres of land owned by Brand Properties when it meets Tuesday. The item is included on the commission's agenda new business under Support Services.

Brand Morgan, Brand Properties owner, declined to comment on the sale or what the land will be used for, but did say he plans to attend a news conference at Gwinnett Center on Tuesday.

County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau declined to comment when asked if he knew of plans to relocate the franchise to Atlanta, whether the county was involved in the project or if the commission would consider anything related to the alleged relocation at its meeting Tuesday.

Demming Bass, a spokesman for the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, also declined to comment, citing confidentiality agreements, and referred telephone calls to Preston Williams, general manager of the Gwinnett Center.

Williams was in a meeting, according to his assistant, and did not immediately return a telephone call.

The announcement on the move "will be coming in the foreseeable future," an official for the Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau said Monday. Lisa Anders, marketing manager for the visitor's bureau, declined to elaborate on what the announcement would entail, when it would be made, or the involvement of the visitors' bureau or the Gwinnett Center, which operates the county's convention center and arena, in the deal.

Gwinnett's minor-league field of dreams has been on the table for some time.

Last July, a consulting firm has concluded that the county provides "one of the strongest markets in the country to support a minor-league baseball team."

That conclusion was contained in a draft report of the study, which was prepared by Convention, Sports & Leisure International, a Minnesota-based consulting firm. The Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau hired the firm to study the feasibility of building a baseball stadium for a minor-league team in Gwinnett.

The report showed that building and operating the stadium could create hundreds of jobs, generate up to $7 million in consumer spending every year and generate as much as $12 million in tax revenue over a 30-year period.

The report also put the price tag for building a stadium between $25 million and $30 million.

"It was a pretty detailed and thorough report," Williams told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution in July. "In comparing Gwinnett County with the demographics of other metro areas that already have minor-league franchises, in most all the categories it was in the top four or five."

Williams was a leading proponent of the new stadium.

• A Gwinnett stadium should have 5,500 permanent seats, grass seating for up 1,500 people, at least 16 private suites, 300 club seats and 2,300 parking spaces in walking distance of the stadium.

• The study also looked at a variety of ways to pay for the new stadium.

• The report also found that its projected $890,000 to $1.5 million operating surplus for the stadium wouldn't be enough to pay off an annual debt of $2.1 million if the stadium were paid for by issuing bonds.

[pedro]

Yet another reason for me to not go anywhere near Gwinnett.

as if one was needed.

[Unassisted]

They could go a little farther north and put it in Dalton. Instead of Field Turf or grass, the playing surface at a new stadium in Dalton could be covered with carpet remnants.

[GADawg]

that seems odd....would the braves be competing against their AAA franchise for attendance? I only make my way down to "the ted" when the Reds come to town but living near Gwinnett I could see myself going over to watch some of the young'uns come through.

[GoReds]

I don't care for the Braves much, but the "ballpark" in Richmond is only a 30 minute drive for me at the moment. Gives me a chance to catch a Louisville game or two.

That said, the facility there is truly an eyesore. The neighborhood around it isn't any great shakes either. I get the feeling the Braves are trying to play hardball with the Richmond area to secure a new facility, which really wouldn't be a bad thing.

[StillFunkyB]

Originally Posted by GoReds

I don't care for the Braves much, but the "ballpark" in Richmond is only a 30 minute drive for me at the moment. Gives me a chance to catch a Louisville game or two.

That said, the facility there is truly an eyesore. The neighborhood around it isn't any great shakes either. I get the feeling the Braves are trying to play hardball with the Richmond area to secure a new facility, which really wouldn't be a bad thing.

Drove past it once in my travels for work. I would agree with the term "eyesore". It was pretty nasty looking.

[KronoRed]

Why move your AAA team so close? not like Braves tickets are hard to get.

[15fan]

Why have it so far away?

Would make it convenient for ML guys to go down and do a rehab assignment, or to call up someone in a pinch. Also be a lot easier to keep track of who's performing, who isn't, etc.

Plus, if it's something else that will keep the nameless, faceless mass of humanity from Gwinnett County in Gwinnett County, that's a-ok by me!

[KronoRed]

Originally Posted by 15fan

Why have it so far away?

Would make it convenient for ML guys to go down and do a rehab assignment, or to call up someone in a pinch. Also be a lot easier to keep track of who's performing, who isn't, etc.

Richmond isn't in the Yukon, it's a one hour flight tops, about the same time as a drive to Gwinnett county

[pedro]

Originally Posted by StillFunkyB

Drove past it once in my travels for work. I would agree with the term "eyesore". It was pretty nasty looking.

I have a buddy who lives in Richmond. He said it wasn't all that nice of a park.

[Raisor]

Gwinnett lost it's Arena Football team a couple years ago, Arthur Blank's Georgia Force moved to Phillips downtown, so I guess Gwinnett needed a new one.

Gwinnett is becoming the minor league Mecca of the south with the AAA Braves and the Gwinnett Gladiators minor league hockey team.

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

Why move your AAA team so close? not like Braves tickets are hard to get.

One thing is that it makes it easier for fans to follow prospects through the system. The Indians now have two teams in neighboring counties, Akron (AA) and Lake County (A), with their AAA team up the road in Buffalo. The Lake County Captains are so close to downtown Cleveland, it's almost like Cincinnati putting a team in Covington.

[Highlifeman21]

Just imagine if the Reds ended up purchasing the Florence ballclub.

Take about convenient.