Braves President of Development Mike Plant said that it was a "successful first season" for the team at SunTrust Park, according to Ricky Leroux of the MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL. More than 2.5 million fans "turned up at the team's home games" to watch the Braves. The ballpark's neighboring mixed-use development, The Battery Atlanta, had 19 restaurants, shops and offices open and "more than 300 apartments saw tenants move in." Marietta-based attorney Justin O'Dell said that throughout the season he "sat in the upper decks, the 300 level, the Infiniti Level, the first rows and the entertainment areas in the outfield." O'Dell: "There's not a bad seat in the house. The sightlines are amazing, great views from anywhere." But Leroux noted that is "not to say the Braves didn't make adjustments after opening the ballpark in April." After the first weekend, the Braves "moved the metal detectors and security checkpoints fans go through from the edges of the Battery and closer to the ballpark itself." The Braves also "realized the ballpark needed more of what Plant called 'drink rails,' which gave fans somewhere to lean, sip a drink and watch the game while standing in the ballpark’s hallways." Landscaping modifications were also made "after seeing where people were walking around the outside of the ballpark, putting up fences where fans were cutting through the grass when the sidewalks filled up." The Braves this offseason are "looking at moving condiment stands around the steel columns rather than standalone stations to more efficiently use the space." The team is also "looking at expanding its premium areas and clubs due to those areas' popularity" (MDJONLINE.com, 10/7).
