ATLANTA -- The
Atlanta Braves say they are leaving Turner Field and moving into a new 42,000-seat, $672 million stadium complex in Cobb County in 2017.
Braves executives John Schuerholz, Mike Plant and Derek Schiller said Monday the team decided not to seek another 20-year lease at Turner Field and began talks with the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority in July.
The Braves also announced the news via their Twitter account.
The infrastructure at Turner Field was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics and was converted to a baseball park for 1997. The Braves' lease expires after the 2016 season.
The proposed stadium will be part of a 60-acre development near the Cobb Galleria mall.
Plant said talks broke down with the Atlanta Fulton County Recreational Authority earlier this year. He added that the team has not signed a contract with Cobb County, but he's "100 percent certain it will happen."
Schiller said financing will come from the Braves and the Cobb County government. The team will be responsible for any cost overruns.
Cobb County is located just outside the northwest city limits of Atlanta. The proposed site is about 10 miles from Turner Field.