Georgia State University is interested in developing Turner Field into a $300 million development that would include a new football and baseball stadium, according to the AJC.
University President Dr. Mark Becker and Atlanta real estate development firm Carter gave the AJC a look at the proposal Wednesday that includes turning Turner Field into a 30,000-seat football stadium and a new baseball stadium that would include Hank Aaron’s wall commemorating his 715th home run as a part of the structure.
The football stadium would also support Georgia State track and field as well as soccer, thus eliminating the need for Panthersville, a multipurpose sports development that is the home of several Georgia State sports and is 10 miles away from the Downtown campus.
The proposal is influenced by the “recognition of the ability of Georgia State University to utilize a renovated Turner Field and reconstituted collegiate baseball facility on the former site of Fulton County Stadium,” according to a copy of the proposal study obtained by The Signal.
The plan also states connectivity and ability of retail to serve the surrounding communities as other influences.
The University’s development plans include retail, residential and student housing, green space, commuter parking and classroom buildings.
Georgia State Athletic Director Cheryl Levick said in a statement she is excited Athletics is a part of Becker’s vision at Georgia State.
“The redevelopment of Turner Field would broaden our footprint in downtown Atlanta and provide a new home for several of our sport programs,” Levick said.
“To move our varsity programs from Panthersville to venues within walking distance for our student population would be a dream come true.”
The Signal received a copy of the proposed plan by Georgia State and Carter that included the studies that led to the
The Plan’s land use analysis. Blue indicates student housing, orange is market housing, yellow is town homes, blue is academic buildings, red is retail, purple is hotel, and green is athletic use.
proposal and the vision of the project.
The plans state that the property’s location is less than 1 mile from campus via Capital Ave. and “can provide direct connectivity supporting the walking, bicycle and shuttle connections.”
The plans take into account the surrounding neighborhoods, such as Summerhill, and developing private residencies such as market residencies, town homes and single-family homes. The plan’s land use analysis section even includes the idea of a hotel directly adjacent to the proposed football stadium, but is marked as market residency in the concept plan.
“The site provides opportunities to heal the fabric along the edges of Summerhill,” the plan stated.
Many of the proposed markets and private residencies are adjacent to the proposed football stadium. As if split in half, the proposed on-campus housing and class room buildings are adjacent to the proposed baseball stadium just north.
Becker told the AJC the development should not raise students’ athletic fees that are currently capped at $277 a semester, $46.17 per registered hour.
Becker along with Scott Taylor, the President of Carter Real Estate Investment Firm, originally started the proposal in January 2014, according to WSB-TV.
“There’s going to be a lot of work left, a lot of vision, a lot of planning, a lot of collaboration with the neighborhood and communities,” Taylor said to WSB-TV.
“You could do a variety of things,” Becker said to 11 Alive on Turner Field early April. “You could see housing developing. Grant Park is not that far away. You might see some retail potentially in that area.”
Becker said the land would be great for a football stadium for the Georgia State Panthers who currently play at the Georgia Dome.
Now, Becker’s words are in the form of a proposal that include all the components of his initial thoughts on the land.
Turner Field is roughly 1 mile south of Georgia State’s Downtown campus, and Georgia State already uses Turner Field’s Blue Lot for free student parking.
Turner Field and the 77-acre property will be available after the Atlanta Braves vacate it for their new stadium in Cobb County that is expected to open for the 2017 Major League Baseball season. The Braves’ lease with the stadium expires December 2016.
“This is one of several plans for the future of Turner Field that we are looking at right now,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in a statement to WSB-TV. “I support Georgia State University, but I am not ready yet to commit to a plan for the future of Turner Field.”
Reed confirmed that there are still three to four other proposals for the land.
After repeatedly telling The Signal that the University was not in talks with anyone for Turner Field, Georgia State changed its tune April 18, 2014, after Mayor Reed said the land had many suitors, including Georgia State. University spokesperson Andrea Jones told The Signal the University had “nothing further to add” following the mayor’s statement.
Mayor spokesperson Carlos Campos told The Signal Reed did not indicate that Georgia State was one of the offers the mayor had for the land at that time.
Check back here for more updates soon.
