Two years to the day after the Braves announced their plan to build SunTrust Park in Cobb County, "nearly all of the concrete and steel work has been completed; risers in the lower seating bowl are clearly visible; and brick that will be the stadium’s outer 'skin' is being attached to walls beyond the outfield," according to Dan Klepal of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. Construction crews are "working on the plaza area that will transition between the ballpark and the mixed-use development" known as The Battery -- "most of which is expected to be open" by April '17. Now "work has begun on the nine-story Comcast office tower." Braves Senior Exec VP/Sales & Marketing Derek Schiller said, "We are moving along very nicely with construction. Progress has been as anticipated. We believe we are on schedule." Braves Owner Liberty Media said that through Sept. 30, approximately $274M "had been spent on the stadium project," with about $149M "provided by county taxpayers." Cobb County Manager David Hankerson said that Georgia companies have received $300.6M "in contracts, while Cobb County companies have been awarded" $233M worth of work. Klepal notes there are currently about 630 workers "on the site tied to the ballpark plus an additional 120 working on the mixed-use development." Each worker is "averaging about 55 hours per week" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 11/11).
COMMUNITY EFFORT: Braves Exec VP/Business Operations Mike Plant said, "No one has ever built a professional stadium like this in this short period of time that we are.” In Marietta, Ricky Leroux notes Cobb officials "are already feeling the effects of the project." Cobb Commission Chair Tim Lee said that the "economic impact of the stadium is evident: Cobb property values are up, companies are relocating or opening offices in the county and many large developments are underway." He added, "I expected it to have a positive impact overall. The magnitude is what surprised me. The level of success surprised me. I expected success, but not this quickly and to this degree.” Lee said that there is more than $800M "in private investment coming to the Cumberland area." Though "most of this comes" from the $452M mixed-use development (MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL, 11/11).
