Home Run: Cobb leaders say Truist Park bringing millions to the county

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Atlanta Braves are hitting it out of the park not only on the field but also in the Cobb community.

Cobb County leaders call it a “win, win, win” all around.

Channel 2 Action News went out to Truist Park on Thursday and found lots of people spending money not just at baseball games, but inside the area’s restaurants and stores.

That wasn’t what many predicted would happen when the Braves moved to their new home a few years ago.

Now, county leaders say the economic “halo effect” from the Braves is really paying off.

“(It’s) a home run not just for Cobb, not just for our region, but our entire state,” Cobb Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Sharon Mason said.

The team’s move to Cobb County in 2017, drew a lot of criticism at the time with questions about traffic, safety and accessibility.

“A lot of talk around the Braves coming here and the stadium, and the kind of investment that would be required to support,” said Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson, talking about many of the concerns.

Richardson’s district covers the Truist Park area.

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Now in 2021, Cobb’s Chamber of Commerce said the county is making millions off the stadium and the people who go to games there.

“When you look at the halo effect of what’s gone on, not only just in The Battery Atlanta, but the excitement of the types of businesses that have come there, but those that have come outside of that realm,” said John Loud, chairman of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

The latest additions include Papa John’s new headquarters at The Battery Atlanta. There is also TK’s new, 420-foot elevator testing building, which is now the tallest building in Cobb County.

And it’s not just businesses moving in. More families are calling the area home, forcing property values way up.

“Property values at the time of its building was about $5 million and that has skyrocketed to about $587 million,” Richardson said.

The most recent fiscal study was two years ago, and it showed a big bump in revenue for the county after the Braves moved there.

“It was found that revenue, minus expenses, the annual fiscal impact is over $18 million,” Mason said.

Some $14 million of that goes to schools from an E-SPLOST. A penny from everything sold at the stadium goes to education.

“So every hot dog, every beer, every bag of pretzels and peanuts that are going on there are helping our school system,” Loud said.

Cobb County leaders say attendance is at its highest right now. No doubt the World Series chase means some new fans.

Cobb County puts in about $6 million a year for the stadium but they say because Truist Park is making so much money, that amount will drop soon.

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